CLARKE 


^68.^8TREMONTST.«, 
_  30  COURT  SO.  BOSTON 


OUR  NORTHERN   SHRUBS 


BOOKS  BY  HARRIET  L.  KEELER 

PUBLISHED  BY  CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

Our  Garden  Flowers.    Or.  8vo,      .       .    net,  $2.00 

Our  Northern  Shrubs.    Cr.  8vo,      .       .    net,  $2.00 

Our  Native  Trees.    Cr.  8vo,     .       .       .    net,  $2.00 

Each  volume  profusely  illustrated 


Panicled  Dogwood,  Cornus  caiididissinia. 


OUR  NORTHERN  SHRUBS 


AND  HOW  TO  IDENTIFY  THEM 


bankbook  for  the  J'3aturc=ILotoer 


By   HARRIET   L.   KEELER 

AUTHOR    OF    "OUR    NATIVE   TREES" 


WITH  205  PLATES  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  AND 
WITH   35    ILLUSTRATIONS    FROM    DRAWINGS 


CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 
NEW   YORK   ::::::::::::   1910 


COPYRIGHT,  1903,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


Published,  April,  1903 


PREFACE 

THE  shrubs  described  in  this  volume  are  those 
which  find  their  most  congenial  home  in  the  region 
extending  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  from  Canada  to  the  northern  boundaries  of 
our  Southern  States  ;  together  with  those  imported 
shrubs  which  have  so  long  adorned  our  yards  and 
gardens  that  we  have  almost  forgotten  their  foreign 
origin. 

The  volume  is  prepared  not  only  for  the  amateur 
botanist  who  seeks  a  more  complete  description  of 
plants  than  the  text-books  in  common  use  afford  ;  not 
only  for  the  lover  of  nature  who  desires  a  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  the  bushes  that  grow  in  the  fields  and 
the  fence  corners ;  but  also  to  serve  those  who  are 
engaged  in  the  establishment  and  decoratipn  of  city 
parks,  roadways  and  boulevards;  those  who  are  seek- 
ing to  beautify  country  roadsides,  school-yards  and 
railway  stations,  as  well  as  those  who,  in  the  decora- 
tion of  their  own  home  grounds,  would  gladly  use  our 
native  shrubs  were  their  habits  and  character  better 
understood. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  volume  may  lead  to  a  clearer 
appreciation  of  the  wonderful  variety,  the  exquisite 
beauty  and  the  real  value  of  that  neglected  part  of  our 
native  flora,  the  shrub. 

V 

2051553 


PREFACE 

The  author  is  glad  to  acknowledge  her  indebtedness 
to  the  following  books  of  reference :  Britton  and 
Brown's  "Illustrated  Flora  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,"  Bailey's  "  Cyclopedia  of  American  Horticul- 
ture," Emerson's  Report  on  the  Trees  and  Shrubs  of 
Massachusetts,  Gray's  "  Manual  of  Botany,"  Britton's 
"  Manual  of  the  Flora  of  the  Northern  States  and 
Canada,"  Bailey's  "  Evolution  of  Our  Native  Fruits," 
Card's  "  Bush  Fruits,"  and  the  magazine  Garden  and 
Forest. 

The  extracts  from  the  works  of  Lowell,  Emerson, 
Whittier,  Torrey,  Thoreau,  and  Higginson  are  used 
with  the  permission  of  the  publishers,  Messrs.  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin  &  Co. ;  that  from  Fred  W.  Card,  with  the 
permission  of  the  Macmillan  Co.  ;  that  from  Joseph 
Y.  Bergen,  with  the  permission  of  Ginn  &  Co. 

The  quotations  from  the  writings  of  Professor  L.  H. 
Bailey,  Mr.  J.  G.  Jack  and  Mr.  Jackson  Dawson  are 
made  by  the  kind  consent  of  the  authors. 

Especial  acknowledgment  is  due  to  Professor  Charles 
S.  Sargent,  who  so  generously  placed  the  magnificent 
resources  of  the  Arnold  Arboretum  at  the  service  of 
the  author  ;  and  also  to  Mr.  Alfred  Rehder,  whose  ex- 
pert knowledge  has  been  invaluable  in  deciding  every 
case  of  doubt. 

The  full  page  illustrations  are  from  photographs, 
many  of  which  were  made  by  Mr.  Alfred  Rehder  of 
the  Arnold  Arboretum,  the  remainder  by  Decker  & 
Co.,  and  by  the  Edmondson  Studio  Co.,  both  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

The  outline  pictures  are  the  work  of  Miss  Mary 
Keffer  of  Lake  Erie  College,  Painesville,  Ohio. 


PREFACE 

Thanks  for  specimens  kindly  sent  upon  request  are 
due  to  Mr.  Watson  of  Plymouth,  Mass. ;  Gen.  G.  W. 
Shurtleff,  of  Oberlin,  Ohio,  and  Mr.  Michael  H.  Ho- 
varth,  landscape  gardener  and  forester  of  the  parks  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 


Tfl 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Preface      , v 

Genera  and  Species xi 

Illustrations xix 

Guide  to  the  Shrubs     , xxv 

Introduction — The  Shrub xxvii 

Description  of  the  Shrubs 3 

Glossary  of  Botanical  Terms  .  .  .  .  499 
Glossary  of  Latin  Specific  Terms  .  .  .  507 
Index  of  Latin  Names  .  .  .  .  .  -511 
Index  of  English  Names 5/6 


GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


RANUNCULACEJE 

Xanthorrhiza  apiifolia 

MAGNOLlACEvE      . 

Magnolia  conspicua 
Magnolia  obovatu    . 
Magnolia  soulangeana 
Magnolia  stellata    .         , 
Magnolia  kobits 

BERBERIDACE/E    . 

Berber  is  -vulgar  is  . 
Berberis  canadensis 
Mahonia  aquifolia 

CISTACE^:    . 

Hudsonia  totnentosa 
Hudsonia  ericoides 

HYPERICACE^E 

Hypericum  prolificum 
Hypericum  densiflorum 

Hypericum  kalmianum 
Ascyrum  stans 
Ascyrum  crux-andrece 


Stuartia  pentagyna 
Gordonia  pubescens 

MALVACEAE  .        .     .  . 
Hibiscus  syriacus  , 


PAGE 
.       3 

.  6 
.  8 
.  8 
.  8 
.10 


CROWFOOT  FAMILY 
Shrub  Yellow-root 

MAGNOLIA  FAMILY 
Yulan  Magmlia 
Purple  Magnolia 
Soulange's  Magnolia 
Star  Magnolia    .. 
Kobus  Magnolia         . 

BARBERRY  FAMILY 

Common  Barberry      .  .12 

American  Barberry    .  .14 

Mahonia    .         .         .  .16 

ROCK-ROSE  FAMILY 

Woolly  Hudsonia        .         .19 

Heath-like  Hudsonia  .         .     22 

ST.  JOHN'S-WORT  FAMILY 

Shrubby  St.  John's-wort     .  23 
Dense-flowered  St.  John's- 

wort        .         .         .         .24 

Kalm's  St.  John's-wort       .  26 

St.  Peter  's-wort  .                  .  28 

St.  Andrew's  Cross    .         .  28 

TEA  FAMILY 

Stuartia       .         .        .         .31 

Gordonia    .         .         .         -34 

MALLOW  FAMILY 

Shrubby  Althaea          .        .     36 


GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


TAMARISK  FAMILY 

Tamarix 

Tamarisk    .... 

39 

RUTACE^E      .... 

.     RUE  FAMILY 

Xanthoxylum  americanum 

.     Prickly  Ash 

43 

Ptelea  trifoliata     .         . 

.     Wafer  Ash         .         . 

45 

ILICACE^E     .... 

.     HOLLY  FAMILY 

Ilex  verticillata       .         . 

Winterberry 

48 

Ilex  Icevigata           .         . 

.     Smooth  Winterberry 

52 

Ilex  glabra     .         . 

Inkberry    .... 

54 

Ilicioides  mucronata 

.     Mountain  Holly 

56 

CELASTRACE^E     .       . 

.     STAFF-TREE  FAMILY 

Euonymus  obovatus 

Running  Strawberry  Bush  . 

58 

Euonymus  americanus 

Strawberry  Bush         ,        , 

60 

RHAMNACE^E        . 

.    BUCKTHORN  FAMILY 

Rhamnus  alnifolia 

Alder-leaved  Buckthorn 

62 

Rhamnus  lanceolata 

Lance-leaved  Buckthorn 

62 

Rhamnus  cathartica       . 

fit 

Rhamnus  frangula 

.     Alder  Buckthorn 

68 

Ceanothus  americanus    . 

New  Jersey  Tea 

68 

HlPPOCASTANACEjE       . 

.     HORSE-CHESTNUT  FAMIL\ 

Aesculus  parviflora 

Dwarf  Buckeye  . 

7i 

STAPHYLEACE.«  .                . 

.    BLADDER-NUT  FAMILY 

Staphylea  trifolia   . 

.     American  Bladder-nut 

74 

ANACARDIACEJE  . 

.    SUMACH  FAMILY 

Rhus  glabra  . 

.     Smooth  Sumach 

78 

Rhus  copallina 

Dwarf  Sumach  .         .        » 

80 

Rhus  vernix  . 

Poison  Sumach  . 

82 

Rhus  radicans 

Poison  Ivy 

84 

Rhus  microcarpa   . 

.     Northern  Poison  Ivy  . 

86 

Rhus  aromatica 

.     Fragrant  Sumach 

88 

Rhus  trilobata        . 

Ill-scented  Sumach     .         . 

90 

Cotinus  cotinus 

.     Smoke-tree          .        .         , 

90 

PAPILIONACE^E     . 

.     PEA  FAMILY 

Amorpha  fruticosa          . 

False  Indigo       .        .         . 

95 

Atnorpha  canescens 

.     Lead  Plant 

98 

xii 


GENERA  AND   SPECIES 


PAPILIONACE^; — Continued. 
Genista  tinctoria    .         . 
Robinia  hispida      .        . 
Laburnum  vulgar e         . 

DRUPACE^E  . 

Prunus  maritima  .         . 
Prunus  grave  sii 
Prunus  spinosa 
Prunus  pumila 
Prunus  cuneata 
Prunus  virginiana 
Primus  japonica     .         . 

ROSACES        . 

Spir&a  salicifolia    • 
Spirtza  tomentosa    . 
Spircea  thunbergii 
Spircea  prunifolia  . 
Spircea  vanhouttei 
Spircea  anthony-waterer 
Opidaster  optilifolius 
Exochorda  grandiflora  . 
Kerria  japonic  a 
Rubus     .... 
Rubus  odoratus 
Rubus  strigosus 
Rubus  occidentalis 
Rubus  nigrobaccus 
Rubus  randii 
Rubus  argutus 
Rubus  canadensis  . 
Rubus  allegheniensis 
Rubus  procumbens 
Rubus  hispidtis 
Potentilla  fruticosa 
Rosa       .... 
Rosa  setigera 
Rosa  blanda   . 
Rosa  arkansana 


Woad  Waxen    .        . 
Rose  Acacia 
Golden  Chain     . 

PLUM  FAMILY 
Beach  Plum        .         .        . 
Graves'  Beach  Plum   . 
Blackthorn          . 
Sand  Cherry 
Appalachian  Cherry    . 
Choke  Cherry     .         . 
Flowering  Almond     . 

ROSE  FAMILY 

Meadow  Sweet  . 

Steeple-bush 

Thunberg's  Spiraea 

Plum-leaved  Spirasa     . 

Van  Hout's  Spiraea 

Anthony  Waterer's  Spiraea 

Ninebark    .... 

Exochorda 

Kerria        .... 

Bramble 


PAGE 

100 

103 
103 


1 08 
no 

110 

no 
112 

112 

114 


118 

120 
125 
126 
126 
126 
129 
I32 
134 
136 


Purple-flowering  Raspberry  137 

Wild  Red  Raspberry  .  .    140 

Black  Raspberry         .  .143 

High-bush  Blackberry  .   146 

Rand's  Blackberry      .  .   153 

Leafy-bracted  Blackberry  .    154 

Thornless  Blackberry  .   1 54 

Mountain  Blackberry  .  .   1 56 

Dewberry   .        .         .  .   1 58 
Running  Swamp  Blackberry  158 

Shrubby  Cinquefoil     .  .161 

Rose           .         .         .  .163 

Climbing  Rose  .         .  .    164 

Meadow  Rose    .        .  .167 

Arkansas  Rose  .  ,    68 


xiii 


GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


ROSACES —  Continued. 
Rosa  Carolina 
Rosa  humilis 
Rosa  lucida     .        .         . 
Rosa  nitida    .         .         . 
Rosa  rubiginosa      .         . 
Rosa  canina  .         .         . 
Rosa  rugosa  .        . 
Rosa  wichuraiana 

POMACES    ...       .»        . 
Aronia  arbutifolia          •. 
Aronia  atropurpurea     .  . 
Aronia  nigra 
Amelanchier  botryapium 
Amelanchier  spicata       . 
Amelanchier  oligocarpa  . 
Cotoneaster  pyracanthus 
Pyrus  japonica 

CALYCANTHACE.* 

Butneria  florida     . 
Butneria  fertilis     . 

HYDRANGEACE^E  .     '  . 

Hydrangea  arborescens  . 
Hydrangea  pantculata  . 
Philadelphus  coronarius 
Philadelphus  grandiflorus 

SAXIFRAGACE^E    . 
Deutzia  gracilis 
Deutzia  scabra        .         . 

iTEACEiE         .... 

I  tea  virginica          . 

GROSSULARIACE^E  .  -;.  • 
Ribes  cynosbati  .  .  • 
Ribes  uva-crispa  ,  . 


Swamp  Rose 

PAGE 

170 

Pasture  Rose 

173 

Glossy  Rose 

176 

Northeastern  Rose 

176 

Sweetbrier       •    .     •   . 

178 

Dog  Rose  .... 

181 

Japanese  Rose   . 

184 

Trailing  Japanese  Rose 

184 

APPLE  FAMILY 

Red  Choke-berry         . 

187 

Purple-fruited  Choke-berry  . 

190 

Black  Choke-berry      .        . 

190 

Shadbush  .         .        .  _  '     . 

192 

Low  June-berry  .         4        , 

196 

Oblong-fruited  June-berry  . 

196 

Evergreen  Thorn        .         . 

198 

Japan  Quince      *         »         . 

200 

STRAWBERRY-SHRUB 

FAMILY 

Strawberry-shrub 

203 

Strawberry-shrub        .         . 

204 

HYDRANGEA  FAMILY 

Wild  Hydrangea         .       "„ 

208 

Hardy  Hydrangea       . 

210 

Syringa      .         .         .  "      . 

212 

Great-  flowered  Syringa 

2l6 

SAXIFRAGE  FAMILY 

Deutzia       .         .         . 

217 

Deutzia       .         .         .         . 

217 

VIRGINIA  WILLOW 

FAMILY 

Virginia  Willow 

221 

GOOSEBERRY  FAMILY 

Wild  Gooseberry 

224 

Garden  Gooseberry    . 

228 

GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


GROSSULARIACEJE — Conttmted. 
Kibes  rotundifolium 
Ribes  oxyacanthoides 
Ribes  lacustre 
Ribes  prostratum    . 
Ribes  rubrum 
Ribes floridum 
Ribes  aureum 

HAMAMELIDACEJE 

Hamamelis  virginiana  . 

CORNACE^E     .... 

Cornus   .... 
Cornus  florida 


Cor  H  us 
Cornus 
Corn  MS 
Cornus 
Cornus 
Cornus 
Cornus 
Cornus 


circinata     . 
amomum    . 
asperifolia  . 
stolonifera 
candidissima 
bailey  i 
alternifolia 
alba    . 


CAPRI  FOLIAGES  .... 
Sambucus  canadensis 
Sambucus  pubens    . 
Viburnum  alnifolium 
Viburnum  opulus  . 
Viburnum  opulus  sttrilis 
Viburnum  acerifolium    . 
Viburnum  pubescens 
Viburnum  dentatum 
Viburnum  cassinoides    . 
Viburnum  Ian  tana 
Symphoricarpos  racemosus    . 
Symphoricarpos  symphoricar- 
POS  ..... 
Lonicera          .... 
Lonicera  oblong  if  olio, 
Lonicera  ccerulea 


PAGE 

Eastern  Wild  Gooseberry  .  228 

Northern  Gooseberry  .  229 

Swamp  Gooseberry     .  .231 

Fetid  Currant     .         .  .231 

Red  Currant       .         .  .  232 

Wild  Black  Currant    .  .   233 

Golden  Currant  .         .  .   235 

WITCH  HAZEL  FAMILY 
Witch  Hazel       .         .         .238 

DOGWOOD  FAMILY 

Dogwood  .        .        .  .241 

Flowering  Dogwood  .  .   244 

Round-leaved  Dogwood  .   246 

Silky  Dogwood  .         .  .   248 

Rough-leaved  Dogwood  .   250 

Red-osier  Dogwood    .  .251 

Panicled  Dogwood      .  .254 

Bailey's  Dogwood       .  .256 
Alternate-leaved  Dogwood  .   256 

Red-stemmed  Dogwood  .  258 

HONEYSUCKLE  FAMILY 
American  Elder  .  .  262 
Red-berried  Elder  .  .  266 
Hobble-bush  .  .  .  270 
Cranberry-tree  .  .  .  273 
Snowball  ....  275 
Maple-leaved  Viburnum  .  278 
Downy  Viburnum  .  .  280 
Arrow-wood  .  .  .  282 
Withe-rod  ....  284 
Wayfaring  Tree  .  .  .285 
Snowberry  .  .  .  287 

Indian  Currant    .         .         .  290 

Honeysuckle       .         .         .  292 

Swamp  Fly-honeysuckle     .  294 

Mountain  Fly-honeysuckle  296 


GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


CAPRI  FOLI  AC  EJE — Continued. 
Lonicera  ciliata      .        . 
Lonicera  tartarica 
Lonicera  involucrata 
Diervilla  diervilla 
Diervilla  rosea       , 

RUBIACE/E    . 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis 

COMPOSITE  .... 

Baccharis  halimifolia     , 

VACCINIACE^E 

Gaylussaciafrondosa 
Gaylussacia  resinosa 
Gaylussacia  dumosa 
Gaylussacia  brachycera 
Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum 
Vaccinium  vacillans 
Vaccinium  corymbosum 
Vaccinium  ccespitosum  . 
Vaccinium  uliginosum  . 
Vitis-Idcea  vitis-idcea 
Polycodium  stamineum 
Chiogenes  hispidula 
Oxycoccus  macrocarpus 

ERICACE/E    .... 

Leduin  groenlandicum    . 
Azalea  nudiflora    .         . 
Azalea  canescens    . 
Azalea  lutea   . 
Azalea  arborescens 
Azalea  viscosa        .         . 
Rhodora  canadensis 
Rhododendron  maximum 
Menziesia  pilosa     .        .    . 
Dendrium  buxifolium    . 
Chamcecistus  procumbens 
Kalmia  latifolia     .         .' 


Fly-honeysuckle           .  .  298 

Tartarian  Honeysuckle  .  300 
Involucred  Fly-honeysuckle    302 

Bush  Honeysuckle      .  .   304 

Weigela                       .  306 

MADDER  FAMILY 

Button-bush        .         .  :    308 

COMPOSITE  FAMILY 

Groundsel-tree            .  =311 

HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

Dangleberry        .          .  •   318 

Black  Huckleberry      .  .   320 

Dwarf  Huckleberry     .  .   322 

Box  Huckleberry          .  .   323 

Dwarf  Blueberry         .  .    324 

Low  Blueberry  .         .  .   328 

Swamp  Blueberry        .  .   329 

Dwarf  Bilberry  .         .  .   334 

Bog  Bilberry       .         ,  .  334 

Mountain  Cranberry  .  .   335 
Deerberry  ....   340 

Creeping  Snovvberry  .  .   341 

American  Cranberry  .  .341 

HEATH  FAMILY 

Labrador  Tea     .         .  .   343 

Wild  Honeysuckle       .  .   346 

Mountain  Azalea         .  .   350 

Flaming  Azalea           .  .   352 

Tree  Azalea        .         .  -354 

Clammy  Azalea  .    '    .  -354 

Rhodora     .         .         ;  .   360 

Great  Laurel       .        .  .  362 

Alleghany  Menziesia  .   364 

Sand  Myrtle        .         ,  .366 

Trailing  Azalea            .  .   367 

Mountain  Laurel         .  .   367 


xvi 


GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


ERICACEAE — Continued. 

Kalmia  angustifolia        . 
Kalmia  glauca         .         . 
Phyllodoce  c&rulea 
Cassiope  hypnoides 
Leucothoi?  raceinosa 
Leucothoe  Catesbcei 
Andromeda  polifolia 
Pieris  floribunda    . 
Picris  mariana       .         , 
Xolisma  ligustrina 
Chamadaphne  calyculata 
Epigiea  repens 
Gaitlthcria  procumbens  . 
Arctostaphylos  nva-ursi 
Mairania  alpina 
Calluna  vulgaris    .         . 

CLETHRACEJE 

Clethra  alnifolia     .         . 

OLEACE/E       .... 

Syringa  vulgaris  .         . 
Syringa  persica 
Syringa  josikaa 
Lignstrum  vulgare         . 
Forsythia  viridissima    . 
Forsythia  suspcnsa 

LAURACE^E  .... 

Benzoin  benzoin    .         . 

THYMELEACE^E    . 
Dirca  palustris 
Daphne  mezereum  . 
Daphne  cneorum    , 

EL^EAGNACE^E 

Elaagnus  argentea 
Elaagnus  angustifolia    . 
Lepargyrtea  argentea 
Lepargyrcea  canadensis . 


PAGB 

Lambkill     •         •        • 

•  3?o 

Swamp  Laurel    . 

.  372 

Mountain  Heath         . 

•  374 

Moss  Plant          .         . 

.  375 

Swamp  Leucothoe 

.  375 

Catesby's  Leucothoe   . 

.  378 

Wild  Rosemary 

.  380 

Mountain  Fetter-bush 

.  384 

Stagger-bush 

.  386 

Privet  Andromeda 

.  388 

Cassandra  . 

•  390 

Trailing  Arbutus 

•  39^ 

Wintergreen 

•  395 

Red  Bearberry   . 

-  396 

Black  Bearberry          . 

.  400 

Heather 

.  400 

WHITE-ALDER  FAMILY 

Sweet  Pepperbush       . 

.  402 

OLIVE  FAMILY 

Lilac  .... 

.  406 

Persian  Lilac 

.  408 

Josika's  Lilac 

.  408 

Privet 

.  410 

Forsythia  .         . 

.  412 

Forsythia  . 

•  4i3 

LAUREL  FAMILY 

Spice-bush 

.  415 

MEZEREUM  FAMILY 

Leather-wood     . 

.  419 

Mezeron     . 

.  422 

Daphne 

.  424 

OLEASTER  FAMILY 

Silver  Berry 

.  427 

Garden  Elaeagnus 

.  428 

Buffalo-berry 

•  43o 

Canadian  Buffalo-berry 

•  432 

GENERA   AND   SPECIES 


LORANTHACE^E      . 

Phoradendronflavescens 

MYRICACEJE         .        .        . 
Myrica  gale   .         .          . 
Myrica  carolinensis 
Comptonia  peregrina 

FAGACE.E      . 

Castanea  pumila     . 

BETULACE^E 

Corylus  americana 
Corylus  rostrata 
Betula  pumila 
Betula  grandulosa 
Alnus  incana 
Alnus  rugosa 
Alnus  alnobetula     , 

SALICACE^E  . 

Salix  balsamifera 
Salix  glaucophylla 
Salix  cordata  .  . 

Salix  adenophylla  . 
Salix  myrtilloides  . 
Salix  humilis 
Salix  tristis    . 
Salix  Candida 
Salix  sericea  . 
Salix  petiolaris 

EMPETRACE^E 

Empetrum  nigrum 
Corema  conradii     ,        . 

TAXACE^E     . 

Taxus  canadensis  . 
Taxus  baccata 


MISTLETOE  FAMILY 
American  Mistletoe     . 

BAYBERRY  FAMILY 
Sweet  Gale         .,        . 
Bayberry    .         .        . 
Sweet  Fern 


PAGE 

434 


437 
440 

443 


BEECH  FAMILY 

Chinquapin 

.  446 

BIRCH  FAMILY 

Hazel-nut  . 

.  449 

Beaked  Hazel-nut 

•  454 

Low  Birch 

•  456 

Glandular  Birch 

.  458 

Speckled  Alder  . 

.  460 

Smooth  Alder     . 

.  464 

Mountain  Alder  . 

.  468 

WILLOW  FAMILY 

Balsam  Willow  .         .  .  472 

Broad-leaved  Willow  .  .  474 

Heart-leaved  Willow  .  .  476 

Furry  Willow     .         .  .  477 

Bog  Willow         .         .  .  478 

Prairie  Willow     .         .  .  478 

Dwarf  Gray  Willow    .  .  482 

Hoary  Willow     .         .  .  484 

Silky  Willow       .         .  .486 

Slender  Willow  .         .  .486 

CROWBERRY  FAMILY 

Black  Crowberry         .  .  488 

Conrad's  Broom  Crowberry  492 


YEW  FAMILY 
American  Yew 
European  Yew 


493 
495 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PANICLKD  DOGWOOD,  Frontispiece 

SHRUB  YELLOW-ROOT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  2 

SOULANGE'S  MAGNOLIA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  7 

STAR  MAGNOLIA,  Flowers  of,  9 

KOBUS  MAGNOLIA,  Flower  of,  9 

COMMON  BARBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  13 

AMERICAN  BARBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  15 

MAHONIA,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  17 

DOWNY  HUDSONIA,  Tuft  of,  21 

SHRUBBY  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  25 

KALM'S  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  27 

ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS,  Flowering  Spray  of,  29 

STUARTIA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  32 

GORDONIA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  33 

SHRUBBY  ALTHAEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  37 

TAMARISK,  Flowering  Spray  of,  41 

PRICKLY  ASH,  Leaf  of,  43 

PRICKLY  ASH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  44 

WAFER  ASH,  Samaras  of,  45 

WAFER  ASH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  46 

BLACK  ALDER,  Flowering  Spray  of,  49 

BLACK  ALDER,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  51 

SMOOTH  WINTERBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  53 

INKBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  55 

MOUNTAIN  HOLLY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  57 

RUNNING  EUONYMUS,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  59 

ALDER-LEAVED  BUCKTHORN,  Spray  of,  63 

COMMON  BUCKTHORN,  Flowering  Spray  of,  65 

ALDER  BUCKTHORN,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  67 

NEW  JERSEY  TEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  69 

DWARF  BUCKEYE,  Flower  Spike  of,  73 

AMERICAN  BLADDER-NUT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  75 

AMERICAN  BLADDER-NUT,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  77 

SMOOTH  SUMACH,  Spray  of,  79 

MOUNTAIN  SUMACH,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  81 

POISON  SUMACH,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  83 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

POISON  IVY,  Plant  of,  85 

NORTHERN  POISON  IVY,  Thicket  of,  87 

FRAGRANT  SUMACH,  Spray  of,  89 

ILL-SCENTED  SUMACH,  Spray  of,  91 

SMOKE-TREE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  93 

SWEET  PEA,  Flower  of,  94 

SWEET  PEA,  Banner,  Wings,  and  Keel-petals  of,  94 

SWEET.  PEA,  Stamens  and  Pistil  of,  94 

SWEET  PEA,  Young  Pod  of,  94 

FALSE  INDIGO,  Flowering  Spray  of,  97 

LEAD  PLANT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  99 

WOAD  WAXEN,  Flowering  Spray  of,  101 

ROSE  ACACIA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  104 

GOLDEN  CHAIN,  Flowering  Spray  of,  105 

BEACH  PLUM,  Flowering  Spray  of,  109 

BEACH  PLUM,  Leaves  of,  no 

SAND  CHERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  in 

APPALACHIAN  CHERRY,  Spray  of,  113 

CHOKE  CHERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  115 

FLOWERING  ALMOND,  Flowering  Spray  of,  117 

MEADOW  SWEET,  Flowering  Spray  of,  119 

STEEPLE-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  121 

THUNBERG'S  SPJKA:A,  Flowering  Spray  of,  123 

PLUM-LEAVED  SPIRAEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  124 

VAN  HOUT'S  SPIRAEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  127 

ANTHONY  WATERER'S  SPIRAEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  128 

NINEBARK,  Flowering  Spray  of,  130 

NINEBARK,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  131 

EXOCHORDA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  133 

EXOCHORDA,  Leaf  of,  134 

KERRIA,  Double  Flower  of,  135 

KERRIA,  Single  Flower  of,  135 

PURPLE-FLOWERING  RASPBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  130 

RED  RASPBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  141 

BLACK  RASPBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  145 

HIGH-BUSH  BLACKBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  147 

LEAFY-BRACTED  BLACKBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  151 

LEAFY-BRACTED  BLACKBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  155 

DEWBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  157 

DEWBERRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  159 

RUNNING  SWAMP  BLACKBERRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  160 

SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL,  Flowering  Spray  of,  162 

MICHIGAN  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  165 

EARLY  WILD  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  169 

SWAMP  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  171 

ROSE-HIPS,  172 

PASTURE  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  174 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


GLOSSY  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  175 

NORTHEASTERN  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  177 

SWEETBRIER,  Flowering  Spray  of,  179 

DOG  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  182 

JAPANESE  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  183 

JAPANESE  TRAILING  ROSE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  185 

RED  CHOKE-BERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  188 

PURPLE-FRUITED  CHOKE-BERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  189 

BLACK  CHOKE-BERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  191 

SHADBUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  193 

Low  JUNE-BERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  195 

OBLONG-FRUITED  JUNE-BERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  197 

EVERGREEN  THORN,  Flowering  Spray  of,  199 

JAPAN  QUINCE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  201 

STRAWBERRY-SHRUB,  Flowering  Spray  of,  205 

SMOOTH  STRAWBERRY-SHRUB,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  207 

WILD  HYDRANGEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  209 

HARDY  HYDRANGEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  211 

SYRINGA,  Flowering  Branch  of,  213 

LARGE-FLOWERED  SYRINGA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  215 

DEUTZIA,  Flowering  Sprays  of,  218,  219 

ITEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  222 

WILD  GOOSEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  225 

EASTERN  WILD  GOOSEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  227 

NORTHERN  GOOSEBERRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  230 

RED  CURRANT,  Leaf  of,  232 

WILD  BLACK  CURRANT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  234 

GOLDEN  CURRANT,  Flowering  Spray  of,  237 

WITCH  HAZEL,  Flosvering  and  Fruiting  Sprays  of,  239 

DOGWOOD,  Flower  of,  242 

FLOWERING  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  243 

ROUND-LEAVED  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  245 

SILKY  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  247 

ROUGH-LEAVED  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Sprajr  of,  249 

RED-OSIER  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  251 

PANICLED  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  253 

BAILEY'S  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  255 

ALTERNATF-LEAVED  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  257 

RED-STEMMED  DOGWOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  259 

RED-STEMMED  DOGWOOD,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  261 

AMERICAN  ELDER,  Flowering  Spray  of,  263 

RED-BERRIED  ELDER,  Flowering  Spray  of,  267 

VIBURNUM,  Flower  of,  269 

HOBBLE-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  271 

HIGH-BUSH  CRANBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  274 

SNOWBALL,  Flowering  Spray  of,  275 

MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM,  Flowering  Spray  of,  277 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

DOWNY  VIBURNUM,  Flowering  Spray  of,  279 

ARROW-WOOD,  Flowering  Spray  of,  281 

DOWNY  VIBURNUM,  Leaf  of,  282 

WITHE-ROD,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  283 

SOFT-LEAVED  VIBURNUM,  Leaf  of,  284 

LARGE  WITHE-ROD,  Leaf  of,  285 

WAYFARING  TREE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  286 

SNOWBFRRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  289 

INDIAN  CURRANT,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  291 

SWAMP  FLY-HONEYSUCKLK,  Flowering  Spray  of,  293 

BLUE  FLY-HONEYSUCKLE,  Leafy  Spray  of,  295 

FLY-HONEYSUCKLE,  Leafy  Spray  of,  297 

TARTARIAN  HONEYSUCKLE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  299 

TARTARIAN  HONEYSUCKLE,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  301 

INVOLUCRED  FLY-HONEYSUCKLE,  Leaf  of,  302 

BUSH  HONEYSUCKLE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  303 

WEIGELA,  Flowering  Spray  oi,  305 

BUTTON-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  309 

GROUNDSEL-TREK,  Sprays  of  Flowers,  313 

GROUNDSEL-TREE,  Fruit  of,  314 

DANGLEBBRRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  317 

HIGH-BUSH  HUCKLEBBRRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  319 

DWARF  HUCKLEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  321 

HIGH-BUSH  HUCKLEBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  322 

Box  HUCKLEBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  323 

DWARF  BLUEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  325 

DWARF  BLUEBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  326 

Low  BLUEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  327 

HIGH-BUSH  BLUEBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  331 

DWARF  BILBBRRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  333 

BOG  BILBERRY,  Flowering  Spray  of,  334 

MOUNTAIN  CRANBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  337 

DEERBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  339 

CREEPING  SNOWBERRY,  Trailing  Stems  of,  341 

AMERICAN  CRANBERRY,  Sprays  of  Fruit  and  Flowers,  34* 

LABRADOR  TEA,  Flowering  Sprays  of,  345 

WILD  HONEYSUCKLE,  Flowering  Sprays  of,  347 

WILD  HONEYSUCKLE,  Leaves  of,  348 

MOUNTAIN  AZALEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  349 

FLAMING  AZALEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  351 

TREE  AZALEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  353 

CLAMMY  AZALEA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  355 

RHODORA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  359 

RHODORA,  Leaf  of,  360 

GREAT  LAUREL,  Flowering  Spray  of,  361 

HYBRID  RHODODENDRON,  Flowers  of,  363 

SAND  MYRTLE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  365 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


MOUNTAIN  LAUREL,  Flowering  Spray  of,  369 
LAMBKILL,  Flowering  Spray  of,  371 
SWAMP  LAUREL,  Flowering  Sprays  of,  373 
MOUNTAIN  HEATH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  374 
CASSIOPE,  Flowering  Tuft  of,  375 
SWAMP  LEUCOTHOE,   Flowering  Spray  of,  377 
CATESBY'S  LEUCOTHOE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  379 
WILD  ROSEMARY,  Flowering  Sprays  of,  381 
MOUNTAIN  FETTER-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  383 
STAGGER-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  385 
PRIVET  ANDROMEDA,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  387 
CASSANDRA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  389 
TRAILING  ARBUTUS,  Flowering  Spray  of,  393 
WINTERGREEN,  Flowering  Stems  of,  395 
RED  BEARBERRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  397 
HEATHER,  Flowering  Tuft  of,  399 
CLETHRA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  403 
LILAC,  Flowering  Spray  of,  405 
PERSIAN  LILAC,  Flowering  Spray  of,  407 
PRIVET,  Flowering  Spray  of,  409 
FORSYTHIA,  Flowering  Spray  of,  411 
FORSYTHIA,  Leaves  of,  413 
SPICE-BUSH,  Flowering  Spray  of,  416 
SP»CE-BUSH,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  417 
LEATHER  WOOD,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  421 
MEZERON,  Flowering  Spray  of,  422 
MEZERON,  Leafy  Spray  of,  423 
DAPHNE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  425 
SILVER  BERRY,  Leafy  Spray  of,  429 
GARDEN  EL^EAGNUS,  Flowering  Spray  of,  431 
BUFFALO-BERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  433 
MISTLETOE,  Cross-section  of  Root,  435 
MISTLETOE,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  436 
SWEET  GALE,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  438 
SWEET  GALE,  Flowering  Spray  of,  439 
BAYBERRY,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  441 
SWEET  FERN,  Leafy  Spray  of,  445 
CHINQUAPIN,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  447  • 

HAZEL-NUT,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  450 
HAZKL-NUT,  Catkins  of,  451 
HAZEL-NUT,  Winter  Branch  of,  452 
BEAKED  HAZEL-NUT,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  453 
Low  BIRCH,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  455 
DWARF  BIRCH,  Leafy  Spray  of,  457 
SPECKLED  ALDER,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  459 
SPECKLED  ALDER,  Catkins  of,  461 
SMOOTH  ALDER,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  465 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

MOUNTAIN  ALDER,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  467 
PUSSY  WILLOW,  Catkins  of,  470 
BALSAM  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  471 
BROAD-LEAVED  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  473 
HEART-LEAVED  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  475 
BOG  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  479 
PRAIRIE  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  480 
DWARF  GRAY  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  481 
HOARY  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  483 
SILKY  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  485 
SLENDER  WILLOW,  Leafy  Spray  of,  487 
BLACK  CROWBERRY,  Fruiting  Branch  of,  489 
CONRAD'S  CROWBERRY,  Leafy  Branch  of,  492 
AMERICAN  YEW,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  494 
EUROPEAN  YEW,  Fruiting  Spray  of,  496 


GUIDE   TO   THE   SHRUBS 

PAGE 

LEAVES  DECIDUOUS,  COMPOUND,  ALTERNATE  ON  THE  STEM  : 

1.  Stems  biennial,  with  spines  or  prickles;  leaves  3  to  5  foli- 

ate ;  flowers  white,  five-petaled ;   fruit  an  aggregation  of 
drupelets. 

a. — New  shoots  red,  covered  with  bloom,  clothed  with  weak, 
glandular  hairs  ;  older  stems  with  small,  weak  prickles ; 

fruit  red.     Wild  Red  Raspberry 140 

b. — New  stems  slender,  recurved,  purplish,  densely  covered 
with  bloom ;   prickles  few,  small,  hooked ;  fruit  black. 

Black  Raspberry 143 

c. — Stems  erect  or  recurved,  angular,  furrowed,  green,  reddish 
or  purple,  covered  with  bloom  ;  prickles  stout,  curved  ; 

fruit  black.     High  Blackberries 146 

d. — Stems  of  blackberry  type  ;  fruit  black. 

d\ . — Stout,  prostrate.     Dewberry 158 

d2. — Weak,  trailing.     Running  Swamp  Blackberry 1 58 

2.  Stems  usually  prickly ;  leaves  3  to  9  foliate  ;  flowers  pink, 

five-petaled  ;  fruit  a  hip.     Roses 163 

3.  Stems  with  stout  prickles ;  leaves  5  to  1 1  foliate,  leafstalks 

prickly  ;  flowers  greenish,  small,  appearing  with  the  leaves. 
Plant  sometimes  a  small  tree.     Prickly  Ash 43 

4.  Young  stems  and  new  shoots  covered  with  clammy,  glandular 

bristles  ;  leaves  5  to  9  foliate  ;  flowers  of  pea  type,  pink, 

in  racemes.     Rose  Acacia 104 

5.  Stems  without  spines  or  prickles. 

a. — Flowers  small,  greenish  yellow,  borne  in  loose  terminal 
spikes  or  axillary  clusters ;  fruit  a  small  drupe.     Sumach 

Family 78 

a\. — Fruit  red,  hairy,  acid,  borne  in  large  terminal  spikes. 
Leaves  7  to  31  foliate,  margins  serrate.      Smooth 

Sumach 78 

Leaves    7   to    n    foliate,    margin    entire,   petioles 
winged.     Mountain  Sumach 80 

XXV 


GUIDE    TO  THE    SHRUBS 

PAGE 

a2. — Fruit  grayish  white,  smooth,  borne  in  axillary  panicles. 
Leaves  7  to  n  foliate,  margin  entire,  petiole  not 
winged  ;  plant  very  poisonous  to  the  touch.  Poison 

Sumach 82 

Leaves  3  foliate,  stems  trailing  or  climbing ;  plants 

poisonous  to  the  touch .     Poison  Ivies 84 

#3. — Fruit  red,  globose,  downy,  borne  sparingly  in  short 
clustered  spikes. 

Leaves  3  foliate,  aromatic.     Fragrant  Sumach. ...     88 
Leaves  3  foliate,  unpleasantly  odorous.     Ill-scented 

Sumach 90 

b. — Flowers  cream-white,  small,  borne  in  terminal  cymes ; 

fruit  a  drupe. 

b\. — Stems  with  white  pith,  swollen  at  the  joints;  leaves 
5  to  1 1  foliate ;  cymes  flat,  spreading ;  fruit  dark 

purple,  pleasant.     American  Elder 262 

b2. — Stems  with  brown  pith;  leaves  5  to  7  foliate;  cymes 

pyramidal,  appear  early ;  fruit  scarlet.     Red  Elder .  266 
c. — Flowers  of  pea  type. 

c\. — Flowers  deformed,  only  the  banner  petal  remaining; 
bright  purple,  borne  in  slender  terminal  spikes. 

Leaves  1 1  to  21  foliate.     False  Indigo 95 

Leaves   15   to  49   foliate,  crowded   on   the   stem. 

Downy  Amorpha 98 

C2. — Flowers  yellow,  in  loose  terminal  spikes ;    leaves   i 

foliate.      Woad  Waxen 100 

£•3. — Flowers  yellow,  in  drooping  racemes ;  leaves  3  foliate. 

Laburnum 103 

d. — Flowers  small,  star-like,  prune  purple,  appearing  before 
and  with  the  leaves ;  leaves  5  foliate,  sometimes  bipin- 

nately  foliate.     Shrub  Yellow-root 3 

<?. — Flowers  white,  in  terminal  or  axillary  racemes ;  leaves  3 

foliate  ;  fruit  a  swollen  capsule.     Bladder-nut 74 

f. — Flowers  white,  in  erect,  slender,  terminal  panicles,  12  to 
1 6  inches  long;    leaves  palmately  5    foliate.     Dwarf 

Buckeye 71 

g. — Flowers  yellowish   green,  in   loose   panicles ;    leaves  3 

foliate  ;  fruit  a  samara.     Wafer  Ash 45 

h. — Flowers  bright  yellow,  terminal;   leaves  5  to  7  foliate; 

often  a  weed.      Shrubby  Cinquefoil. 161 

xxvi 


GUIDE   TO  THE   SHRUBS 


PAGE 


i. — Flowers  bright  yellow,  in  tall  clusters;  leaves  5  to  9 
foliate,  sub-evergreen,  spiny ;  leaflets  resemble  holly 
leaves  ;  fruit  resembles  a  small  purple  grape.  Mahonia .  16 

LEAVES  DECIDUOUS,  SIMPLE,  OPPOSITE  ON  THE  STEM  : 
Stems  without  spines  or  prickles. 

a. — Flowers  small,  white,  borne  in  flat  clusters  ;  flower  parts 
in  fours;  fruit  a  small  drupe,  color  varying  with 
species.  Dogwoods. 241 

b. — Flowers  small,  white,  borne  in  flat  clusters  ;  flower  parts 
\nfives  ;  fruit  a  small  drupe,  color  varying  with  species. 
Viburnums 269 

c . — Flowers  small  pinkish  bells ;   flower  parts  varying  from 

four  to  five. 

fi. — Flowers  both  axillary  and  terminal ;  fruit  awhile  ball- 
like  berry.     Snowberry 287 

C2. — Flowers  mostly  axillary ;  fruit  a  small  crimson  berry, 

abundant.     Indian  Currant 290 

d. — Flowers  white  or  pink  or  yellow,  axillary,  usually  borne 
in  pairs — sometimes  in  threes;  corolla  tubular,  five- 
lobed  or  toothed ;  fruit  a  berry,  varying  in  color  with 
the  species.  Honeysuckles 292 

e. — Flowers  small,  green  or  purple  or  purplish  green  ;  fruit  a 
warty  capsule  of  brilliant  color ;  capsule  crimson,  seed- 
covering  scarlet,  seed  white.  Strawberry  Bush 58 

f. — Flowers  bright  yellow,  conspicuous  for  many  stamens ; 
leaves  frequently  black-dotted  or  punctate  with  trans- 
parent dots.  St.  'Johns-worts 23 

g. — Flowers  brownish  red,  of  strawberry  fragrance.  Straw- 
berry-shrub   203 

h. — Flowers  small,  white  tubular,  with  exserted  styles ;  borne 
in  dense  heads  which  are  almost  perfect  spheres.  Loves 
the  water.  Button  Bush 308 

/. — Flowers  lilac  or  white,  borne  in  terminal  pyramidal  pani- 
cles ;  corolla  tubular  with  four-lobed  border.  Lilacs, 
Privet 406-410 

LEAVES  DECIDUOUS,  SIMPLE,  ALTERNATE  ON  THE  STEM  : 
i.  Stems  prickly  or  thorny  or  densely  hairy. 
a. — Flowers  yellow,  on  native  shrubs  borne  in  racemes  ;  fruit 

a  sour  red  berry.     Barberries 12 

aucvii 


GUIDE   TO  THE    SHRUBS 

PAGE 

b. — Leaves  orbicular,  3  to  7  lobed  ;  flowers  small,  greenish ; 
fruit  a  many-seeded  berry,  prickly  or  smooth,  pleasant. 
One  or  two  species  have  smooth  stems.    Gooseberries . .   224 
c, — Flowers  small,  yellowish  green ;  parts  in  fours ;    fruit  a 

berry,  nauseous.     Buckthorns 62 

d. — Leaves  large,  5 -lobed  ;  young  stems  densely  covered  with 
reddish  glandular  hairs  ;  flowers  rose-like,  pink  ;  fruit  a 

pink  raspberry.     Purple-flowering  Raspberry 137 

e. — Ornamental  shrub,  extensively  cultivated.  Flowers  large, 
scarlet,  crimson,  or  white,  appearing  before  or  with  the 

leaves  ;  fruit  a  pome.      Japan  Quince 200 

2.  Stems  smooth. 

a. — Leaves  orbicular,  3  to  5  lobed  ;   fruit  a  berry,  pleasant. 

Currants 231 

b. — Flowers  large,  white  or  purplish,  solitary. 

b\. — Appearing  before  the  leaves.     Magnolia 6 

l>2.  —Blooming  in  midsummer.      Stuartia 31 

£3. — Blooming  in  autumn.     Gordonia 34 

c, — Flowers  of  hollyhock  type,  solitary  or  clustered,  white, 
red,  crimson,  or  scarlet ;  frequently  double.  Often  a 
small  tree.  Blooms  in  late  summer  and  autumn. 

Althea 36 

d. — Leaves  silvery;  flowers  yellowish,  often  fragrant.  Ole- 
aster Family 427 

e. — Flowers  white,  sometimes  pink,  of  the  rose  type,  borne 

in  umbels  or  corymbs  or  racemes. 
e\. — Pistil  solitary  ;  fruit  a  drupe. 

Flowers  appearing  before   the  leaves ;    usually  in 

umbels.     Plums.     Cherries 107- 1 1 1 

Flowers  appearing  after  the  leaves,  borne  in  ra- 
cemes ;  fruit  of  marked  astringent  quality.      Choke 

Cherry 112 

Ornamental  shrub ;    flowers  double  white  or  pink, 
appearing  before  the  leaves.     Flowering  Almond.  .    114 
62. — Styles  2  to  5,  more  or  less  united  ;  fruit  a  berry-like 
pome. 
Flowers  white  or  purplish  tinged ;  appearing  after 

the  leaves ;  fruit  rather  dry.     Chokeberries 187 

Flowers  appearing  before  or  with  the  leaves ;  fruit 

delicious.     Juneberries 192 

xxviii 


GUIDE    TO  THE    SHRUBS 

PAGE 

<?3. — Fruit  dry,  of  five  carpels. 

Flowers  white  or  pinkish  ;  stamens  numerous  and 

exserted.      Native  Spiraeas 1 1 8 

f. — Flowers  white,  fragrant,  crowded  on  long,  slender 
spikes,  appear  in  midsummer.  Plant  loves  the  water. 
Clethra 402 

(Huckleberry  Family.   315 
g. — Flowers  bell-like  or  urn-shaped;  \  .,  ,   ., 

<  Many  genera  of  the 
white,  pale  pink  or  greenish  . . .  I       ,_,     .,    ~       ., 

\      Heath  family....   343 

h. — Flowers  of  Azalea  type,  white,  pink  or  yel-  t  Azaleas. .  346 
low \  -Rhodora .   360 

/. — Flowers  yellow,  in  small  clusters,  appear-  i  c, .      ,     , 

,    :  I  Spice-btish . . .   415 

ing  before  the  leaves;  corolla  wanting;  V  T      .,  , 

s'  (  Leatherwood .  419 
calyx  colored ) 

j. — Flowers   yellow;    parts    in    fours;    petals  long,  narrow, 

crumpled.     Blooms  in  autumn.      Witch  Hazel 238 

k. — Fruit  conspicuous,  persistent. 

k  i . — Scarlet.     Hollies 48 

ki. — Gray,  covered  with  wax.     Bay  berry 440 

/. — Plants  growing  in  the  sands  of  the  sea-shore.     Leaves 

small,  very  downy  ;  flowers  yellow.     Hudsonias 19 

LEAVES  DECIDUOUS,  ALTERNATE,  SIMPLE;  FLOWERS  IN  CATKINS: 

1.  Leaves  sprinkled  with  resinous  dots;    fragrant.     Bayberry 

Family 437 

2.  Fruit  a  nut  enclosed  in  a  prickly  burr.     Chinquapin 446 

3.  Fruit  a  nut  enclosed  in  a  dry  involucre.     Hazels 449 

4.  Fruit  a  strobile.     Birches  and  Alders 456-460 

5.  Fruit  many  capsules  borne  in  a  raceme.      Willou>s 469 

Shrubs  with  alternate  leaves  not  mentioned  above:  Tamarisk, 
Forsythia,  Exochorda,  Kerria,  cultivated  Spiraeas,  Mezeron,  Red-root. 

LEAVES  EVERGREEN  : 

1.  Leaves  resembling  those  of  the  hemlock;    fruit  a  seed,  al- 

most enclosed  in  a  red  fleshy  cup.      Yeu<s 493 

2.  Leaves  very  narrow,  margins  revolute,  edges  meeting  at  the 

back. 

a. — Plant  sub-arctic ;  fruit  edible.     Black  Crowberry 488 

b. — Plant  rare,  grows  on  rocky  or  sandy  soil,  near  the  At- 
lantic coast ;  fruit  dry.     Conrad^s  Broom  Crowberry ..  492 
xxix 


GUIDE   TO  THE   SHRUBS 

PAGE 

3.  Leaves  large. 

a. — Flower  of  Azalea  type.     Rhododendron 362 

b. — Flower  saucer-shaped.     Kalmias 367 

4.  Leaves  two  to  three  inches  long ;  woolly  beneath.     Labra- 

dor Tea 343 

f  Mountain  Heath .   374 

5.  Arctic-Alpine  plants <  Cassiope 375 

(  Alpine  Azalea . . .   367 

6.  Stems  creeping  or  trailing. 

a. — Flowers  fragrant,  white  or  pink  ;  fruit  dry.     Mayflower .   392 

b. — Flowers  greenish  white  bells ;  fruit  a  white  berry. 

Snowberry 341 

c. — Plant  making  thick  mats ;  fruit  an  astringent  red  berry. 

Red  Bearberry 396 

d. — Flowers  nodding,  pale  pink ;  fruit  the  cranberry  of  com- 
merce. Cranberry 341 

7.  Flowers  bell-shaped  or  urn-shaped.     Several  genera  of  the 

Heath  Family 34^ 

Plants  with  evergreen  leaves  not  mentioned  above :   Inkberry, 
Evergreen  Thorn,  Daphne  cneorum,  Sand  Myrtle. 

SIGNS   USED   IN   THIS   BOOK. 

(')  Acute  accent  over  a  vowel  marks  the  short  sound. 
0)  Grave  accent  over  a  vowel  marks  the  long  sound. 
(°)  The  sign  of  degree  is  used  for  feet. 
(')  When  used  with  figures  means  inches. 


INTRODUCTION 

THE   SHRUB 

THE  dividing  line  between  tree  and  shrub  is  of  little 
importance  botanically  ;  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  one 
stem  or  many  stems.  Rising  from  the  ground,  the 
tree  uplifts  its  branches,  leaves,  flowers  and  fruit  upon 
its  trunk,  a  massive,  single  shaft.  A  shrub  rises  from 
its  roots  with  a  group  of  stems  whose  number  forbids 
to  any  one  of  them  the  attainment  of  great  size.  Be- 
cause of  this  unity  of  central  structure  a  tree  has  an 
individuality  which  is  denied  to  a  plant  that  may  have 
five  stems  one  year  and  ten  the  next. 

The  position  of  the  shrub  is  distinctly  secondary  ; 
and  the  burden  of  the  inferior  race  is  upon  it.  A  tree 
may  be  valued  for  what  it  is,  but  a  shrub  is  rated  for 
just  what  it  can  do.  It  must  render  a  service  to  com- 
pensate for  its  cultivation.  This  service  may  be  one 
of  beauty,  through  its  flowers  ;  or  of  use,  by  its  fruit ; 
or  its  foliage  or  habit  of  growth  may  be  especially 
attractive,  or  of  such  a  nature  as  will  give  it  value  as 
a  shield  or  a  cover  for  waste  and  barren  places.  A 
shrub  which  cannot  render  some  such  service  is  held 
to  be  a  cumberer  of  the  ground. 

The  economic  value  of  the  shrub  upon  the  forest- 
floor  is  very  great.  It  holds  the  fallen  leaves  in  place 


INTRODUCTION 

against  the  force  of  the  wind  ;  it  conserves  the  water 
supply  ;  under  its  protecting  and  fostering  care  the 
wreckage  of  the  forest  is  transformed  into  vegetable 
humus,  an  almost  indispensable  constituent  of  a  fertile 
soil. 

Probably  because  it  has  not  yet  been  made  the  sub- 
ject of  careful  study,  the  duration  of  life,  even  among 
those  shrubs  that  have  been  longest  in  cultivation  and 
are  best  known,  is  not  very  well  understood.  The 
short  generation,  however,  implies  a  relatively  short 
life  period.  This  short  generation  tends  to  the  multi- 
plication of  species.  Seed  variations  can  more  easily 
perpetuate  themselves.  Bud  variations,  technically 
known  as  sports,  in  the  case  of  cultivated  shrubs, 
can  be  readily  observed  and  reproduced  within  a  rea- 
sonably limited  time.  So  that  the  limited  life  of  the 
shrub  serves  both  as  an  aid  and  a  reward  to  the  ob- 
servant gardener  in  multiplying  the  variants  of  the 
most  valued  species. 

Our  northern  climate  is  so  favorable  to  the  growth 
of  hardy  shrubs  that  if  their  value  were  fully  and  gen- 
erally comprehended  they  would  play  a  much  more 
important  part  than  they  now  do  in  lawn  and  park 
decoration.  Their  beauty,  unfortunately,  is  often  les- 
sened, if  not  wholly  destroyed,  by  careless  or  igno- 
rant pruning.  Severe  pruning  tends  to  enfeeble  both 
shrub  and  tree,  and  the  removal  of  large  branches  usu- 
ally interferes  with  the  natural  and  therefore  more 
graceful  lines  of  either.  Shrubs  will  be  in  their  best 
form  and  vigor  the  year  through  when  no  pruning  is 
attempted  beyond  the  thinning  out  of  the  weaker  and 
overshadowed  branches.  Moreover,  shrubs  have  a 


INTRODUCTION 

winter  beauty  tnat  severe  pruning  entirely  destroys. 
In  the  leafless  season,  a  mass  of  shrubbery  is  envel- 
oped with  a  hazy  mist  of  delicate  color  which  comes 
from  the  coalescence  of  the  different  tints  of  the  barks 
of  the  small  branches ;  and  this  color,  together  with 
the  fine  tracery  of  the  spray,  adds  much  to  the  winter 
landscape. 

When  shrubs  are  planted  for  mass  effect,  the  treat- 
ment of  the  group  differs  from  that  given  to  a  single 
bush,  but  even  then  the  plants  should  not  be  cut  back 
so  far  as  to  impair  their  vigor.  The  proper  time  for 
pruning  depends  upon  the  habit  of  the  plant.  Those 
which  bloom  early  on  wood  of  the  previous  year's 
growth  should  not  be  pruned  in  autumn  or  in  early 
spring  ;  for  this  removes  all  the  flower  buds,  and  con- 
sequently no  flowers  are  produced.  These  shrubs 
should  be  pruned  immediately  after  the  blooming 
period.  On  the  other  hand,  shrubs  which  bloom  late, 
on  wood  of  the  current  year,  should  be  pruned  after 
the  leaves  fall  in  autumn,  or  in  early  spring  before 
growth  begins. 

In  view  of  the  great  sums  expended  by  towns  and 
cities  in  the  care  and  decoration  of  roadways,  park 
lanes  and  boulevards,  in  order  that  they  may  be  shrub- 
bordered  and  tree-shaded,  it  is  difficult  to  comprehend 
why  our  country  roadsides  are  so  generally  forlorn, 
cheerless,  barren,  and  desolate.  Were  the  wild  growth 
of  shrubbery  encouraged,  cared  for  and  properly  con- 
trolled, nature  would  decorate  the  country  roadside 
with  a  generosity  that  no  Park  Commissioner  could 
emulate.  With  very  little  or  no  expenditure  of 
money,  and  with  a  minimum  of  intelligent  care  and 


INTRODUCTION 


protection  on  the  part  of  the  owners  of  the  land,  the 
country  roadside  might  be  a  source  of  pleasure  to  all 
who  pass,  as  well  as  a  most  valuable  arboretum  of  its 
native  flora. 


Shrub  Yellow-root,  Xantborrhi[a  apnfolia. 

Leaves  3'  to  (/  long.     Flowers  fa'  across. 


RANUNCULACE^E— CROWFOOT  FAMILY 

SHRUB   YELLOW-ROOT 

Xanthorrhlza  apiifblia* 

Xanthorrhiza,  compounded  of  two  Greek  words,  xanthost 
yellow,  and  rhiza,  a  root.  Apiifolia,  leaves  like  those  of 
celery. 

A  low  shrub  of  upright  stems,  two  to  three  feet  high,  growing 
along  the  shady  banks  of  streams  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York  and  in  the  mountains  of  the  South.  Suckers  freely ;  roots 
long,  slender,  deep  yellow ;  from  their  bitter  juice  the  Indians 
procured  a  yellow  dye. 

Bark. — Outer  bark  yellowish  brown  ;  the  inner  bark  yellow; 
branchlets  pale  greenish  gray. 

Winter  buds. — One  slender,  pointed,  terminal  bud  about  an 
inch  long  crowns  the  stem ;  two  or  three  small,  lateral  buds 
appear  somewhat  below. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  pinnately  compound,  sometimes  bipin- 
nate,  three  to  six  inches  long;  leaflets  five,  ovate  or  oblong,  in- 
cisely  cleft  or  divided,  and  coarsely  toothed,  sessile,  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  one  and  one-half  to  three  inches  long.  They 
come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  pale  green,  hairy,  and  shining  ; 
when  full  grown  are  bright  green  above,  paler  beneath.  Au- 
tumnal tints  are  either  bright  yellow,  or  a  glowing  reddish  pur- 
ple, melting  from  dark  bronze  into  paler  tints;  two  plants  may 
stand  side  by  side,  one  purple,  the  other  yellow.  Petioles  long, 
slender,  clasping. 


CROWFOOT    FAMILY 

Flowers. — April,  May,  with  or  before  the  leaves.  Small, 
starlike,  prune-purple  shading  to  brown  ;  in  compound  drooping 
racemes  which  are  produced,  together  with  the  leaves,  from  the 
terminal  bud. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  petaloid,  ovate,  acute,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  hypogynous,  much  smaller  than  the 
sepals,  dark  prune,  obscurely  two-lobed,  slightly  concave,  raised 
on  a  claw. 

Stamens. — Five  to  ten,  hypogynous,  filaments  short;  anthers 
large  for  the  size  of  the  flower. 

Pistil. — Carpels  five  to  fifteen,  entirely  distinct,  sessile,  pointed 
with  curved  styles,  two-ovuled  ;  one  ovule  aborts,  making  the 
pod  one-seeded. 

Fruit. — Follicles,  borne  in  small  clusters  along  the  axis  of  the 
raceme,  greenish  yellow,  inflated,  one-seeded,  curved  at  apex, 
minutely  beaked,  inconspicuous.  August. 


This  tiny  shrub  is  not  very  well  known,  there  is  so  lit- 
tle about  it  to  attract  attention.  A  botanist  finds  it  in- 
teresting because  it  belongs  to  the  Ranunculacete,  whose 
genera  are  chiefly  herbs.  The  landscape  gardener  val- 
ues it  for  its  hardy,  free-growing  habit,  both  in  sun  and 
shade;  and  uses  it  as  a  dwarf  undershrub  to  clothe  the 
ground  under  trees  or  to  carry  up  the  line  of  green  from 
the  grass  to  the  higher  plants.  In  winter,  each  stem 
and  branchlet  bears  one  terminal  bud  with  two  or  three 
small  lateral  ones.  Late  in  April  or  in  early  May,  this 
terminal  bud  opens  and  there  comes  forth,  together 
with  the  leaves,  a  cluster  of  racemes — sometimes  single 
and  sometimes  compound — of  tiny,  five-pointed,  prune- 
colored  stars,  each  with  a  golden  centre.  The  central 
stem  of  the  flower  cluster,  and  the  short  stems  that 
bear  the  blossoms  are  all  of  the  same  rich  purple  color. 
Botanically  the  points  of  the  stars  are  sepals ;  the  co- 

4 


SHRUB    YELLOW-ROOT 

rolla  is  so  small  that  it  must  be  searched  for;  and  the 
stamens  make  the  golden  centre.  The  leaves  crown 
the  stem,  and  as  they  are  long  and  the  stem  is  short 
the  effect  is  that  of  full  foliage.  The  autumnal  tints 
vary  from  deep  purple  to  glowing  yellow  and  the 
leaves  persist  until  beaten  off  by  the  storms  of  winter. 


MAGNOLIACEvE— MAGNOLIA  FAMILY 

MAGNOLIA 

Magnolia. 

Named  after  Pierre  Magnol,  professor  of  medicine  and  di- 
rector of  the  botanic  garden  at  Montpellier,  France,  from 
1698  to  1715. 

The  early  flowering  magnolias  must  surely  be 
counted  among  the  pleasant  sights  of  the  spring-time. 
Natives  of  China  and  Japan,  they  have  readily  accepted 
new  conditions  and,  perhaps,  are  better  known  to  the 
general  public  than  are  our  own  species.  They  ap- 
pear in  the  original  types,  together  with  a  goodly 
number  of  hybrids;  and,  showy  and  striking,  com- 
mand attention  wherever  seen. 

The  Chinese  White  Magnolia  or  Yulan,  ]\Iagnolia 
conspictia,  was  the  first  of  the  Asiatic  magnolias  to 
bloom  in  English  gardens.  Introduced  in  1789,  it 
made  its  \vay  slowly  because  it  was  not  considered 
hardy  It  has,  however,  proved  itself  hardy  both  in 
England  and  in  this  country.  This  is  our  common 
white  magnolia;  often  shrub-like  in  youth,  but  at  ma- 
turity becoming  a  tree.  The  flowers  open  as  great 
cups,  are  produced  most  abundantly,  and  at  their 
best  quite  cover  the  tree.  This  magnolia  has  been 

i 


MAGNOLIA 


Soulange's  Magnolia,  Magnolia  Soulaiigeana. 

Flowers  3'  to  5'  across 


MAGNOLIA   FAMILY 

cultivated  in  China  for  more  than  a  thousand  years 
and  is  there  considered  a  symbol  of  candor  and  of 
beauty. 

The  Purple-flowered  Magnolia  was  the  second  im- 
portation, introduced  by  Thunberg,  who  discovered  it 
in  Japan  and  brought  it  into  England  in  1790.  Rela- 
tively this  is  a  small  shrub  with  slightly  obovate  or 
acuminate  leaves  and  fragrant  flowers.  The  flowers 
have  small  yellowish  or  yellow-green  sepals  and  large 
acuminate  petals  which  are  deep  purple  on  the  exterior 
and  cream-white  on  the  interior  face.  This  is  Magnolia 
obovata,  also  known  as  Magnolia  purpurea  and  Magnolia 
discolor.  Although  perfectly  hardy  it  is  now  seldom 
seen  in  gardens,  having  given  way  to  a  race  of  hybrids 
of  which  it  is  one  of  the  parents. 

One  of  the  best  of  these  hybrids  dates  from  1826.  It 
sprang  from  a  seed  of  Magnolia  conspicua,  in  the  garden 
of  M.  Soulange-Bodin,  of  Fromont,  near  Paris,  the 
flowers  of  which,  it  is  believed,  had  been  accidentally 
fertilized  with  the  pollen  of  Magnolia  purpurca.  The 
plant  is  known  as  Magnolia  sonlangcana  and  is  almost 
intermediate  between  the  two  parents  except  in  habit, 
which  is  arborescent.  It  is  thoroughly  hardy  and 
produces  fertile  seeds.  The  flowers  are  white  with  a 
dash  of  purple,  and  appear  a  week  or  ten  days  later 
than  those  of  Magnolia  conspicua.  There  are  several 
other  hybrids  of  these  species  offered  by  the  trade, 
of  which  one  of  the  best  is  Magnolia  Icnnei,  whose 
flowers  are  deep  crimson  without  and  cream-white 
within. 

Our  gardens  were  enriched  a  few  years  ago  by  the 
introduction  of  the  shrubby  Magnolia  stellata,  which 

8 


MAGNOLIAS 


Two  upper,  Magnolia  stellata.    The  lower,  Magnolia  kobui. 

Flowers  of  M.  itcllata,  j'  across  ;  those  of  M.  kobm,  4'  to  5'  across. 


MAGNOLIA   FAMILY 

is  indeed  most  rightly  named — a  star.  Perfectly 
hardy,  it  blooms  the  earliest  of  all  the  magnolias,  com- 
ing into  flower  with  the  forsythias.  The  blossom  is 
pure  white,  and  deliciously  fragrant ;  the  petals  at 
first  spread  into  a  star  but  later  become  reflexed.  Ex- 
tremely beautiful,  it  needs  but  to  be  known  to  be 
highly  valued. 

Other  magnolias  have  come,  and  others,  no  doubt, 
are  yet  to  come,  from  that  great  storehouse  of  the  East, 
China.  A  recent  arrival  is  Magnolia  kobus,  a  small 
bushy  tree  which  is  perfectly  hardy  but  whose  flowers 
are  not  so  fine  as  those  of  Magnolia  stcllata. 

The  family  characteristics  of  all  the  magnolias  are 
the  leathery  texture  of  the  petals,  and  the  successive 
rows  of  stamens  packed  around  the  prolonged  recepta- 
cle which  is  crowned  with  pistils,  also  packed  in  rows 
and  closely  cohering  with  each  other.  The  fruit  is  a 
fleshy  cone  containing  brilliant  scarlet  seeds. 

In  order  that  a  magnolia  should  do  well  it  ought  to 
stand  by  itself  in  the  open,  so  that  it  may  have  an 
abundance  of  light  and  air ;  otherwise  the  flowering 
wood  does  not  properly  ripen. 

The  secret  of  transplanting  magnolias  is  to  do  it  as 
the  leaves  are  opening ;  that  is,  in  the  case  of  these 
Asiatic  species,  after  the  flowers  have  fallen.  This 
seems  rather  astonishing,  but  the  reason  lies  in  the 
character  of  the  roots,  which  are  large  and  fleshy  and 
which  decay  rapidly  when  cut  or  bruised.  They  con- 
sequently do  not  recover  from  transplanting  unless 
moved  at  a  time  when  they  are  in  active  growth  and 
so  in  a  condition  to  make  new  root  growth  rapidly. 

All  the  magnolias  love  moisture,  and  grow  best  in 

10 


MAGNOLIA 

peat  soil,  or  sand  and  turfy  loam,  in  the  full  sunlight. 
It  is  now  well  known  that  the  Chinese  magnolias  grow 
more  rapidly  and  make  better  plants  for  us  if  they 
are  grafted  on  some  of  the  strong-growing  American 
species,  preferably  Magnolia  acuminata  or  Magnolia 
tripetala. 


BERBERIDACE^E— BARBERRY    FAMILY 

COMMON   BARBERRY 

Berberis   vulgaris. 

The  derivation  of  Berberis  is  very  greatly  in  doubt ;  it  has 
been  referred  to  the  Arabic,  to  the  Greek,  and  to  the 
Hindoo,  but  its  origin  is  lost  in  the  mists  of  antiquity. 

Thorny,  three  to  ten  feet  high,  introduced  from  Europe,  and 
hardy  throughout  our  northern  range.  It  suckers  freely;  is  long- 
lived  ;  grows  rapidly  when  young  but  slowly  afterward  ;  prefers 
a  soil  with  lime.  Wood  is  yellow  ;  roots  are  long  and  crooked ; 
berries,  leaves,  and  roots  are  acid  and  astringent. 

Leaves. — On  fresh  shoots  of  the  season  the  leaves  are  scattered, 
mostly  reduced  to  sharp,  triple  or  branched,  slender  spines;  from 
whose  axils,  in  the  next  season,  proceed  rosettes  of  obovate  leaves 
of  varying  sizes.  Finally,  by  annual  growth  a  short,  stout,  little 
branch  is  formed  in  the  axil  of  each  bunch  of  spines  and  at  the 
apex  of  these  tiny  branches  the  leaves  appear,  really  alternate,  but 
so  crowded  as  to  look  like  rosettes.  The  thorns  are  from  three- 
eighths  to  one  inch  long.  Leaves  are  oval  to  obovate,  one  to  one 
and  one-half  inches  long,  pointed  at  the  base,  rounded  at  the 
apex,  bristly  toothed,  pinnately  veined.  They  come  out  of  the 
bud  yellow-green,  glabrous,  when  full  grown  are  bright  green 
above,  paler  beneath;  in  autumn  they  become  a  dull  purplish 
green,  or  fall  unchanged. 

flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  yellow,  borne  in  drooping, 
many-flowered  racemes. 

Calyx. — Sepals  six,  in  two  rows,  hypogynous,  imbricate  in  bud, 
roundish,  with  two  to  six  small  bracts  beneath. 


COMMON    BARBERRY 


Common  Barberry,  Herberts  vulgaris. 

Racemes  2'  to  1%'  long.     Leaves  i'  to  i  %'  long. 


BARBERRY   FAMILY 

Corolla. — Petals  six,  in  two  rows,  yellow,  hypogynous,  imbri- 
cate in  bud,  obovate,  concave,  with  two  glandular  spots  inside, 
above  the  short  claw. 

Stamens. — Six,  hypogynous,  opposite  the  petals,  irritable  ;  fil- 
aments short;  anthers  two-celled,  opening  by  lids  hinged  at  the 
top. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one,  superior  ;  style  short ;  stigma  circular,  de- 
pressed. 

Fruit. — Berry  about  half  an  inch  long,  borne  in  drooping  ra- 
cemes from  the  tiny  branchlets  which  bear  the  rosettes  of  leaves; 
scarlet,  oblong,  crowned  with  a  remnant  of  the  stigma  as  a  black 
spot,  edible,  heavily  charged  with  malic  acid.  Seeds  few  or  one. 

The  spines  of  the  Barberry  are  a  curious  state  of  leaf  in  which 
the  leaf  texture  is  displaced  and  the  ribs  have  become  indurated. 
They,  as  well  as  the  simple  leaves  of  ordinary  appearance,  are 
articulated  with  the  petiole,  and  are  therefore  compound  leaves 
reduced  to  a  single  foliole. 

The  Barberry  is  a  graceful  bush  bearing  in  the  spring 
from  its  bending  shoots  drooping  racemes  of  beautiful 
yellow  flowers.  These  flowers  are  especially  interest- 
ing because  of  the  remarkable  irritability  of  the  sta- 
mens. When  a  filament  is  touched  on  the  inside  with 
the  point  of  a  pin  or  any  other  hard  instrument  the 
stamen  bends  forward  toward  the  pistil,  touches  the 
stigma  with  the  anther,  remains  curved  for  a  short  time 
and  then  partially  recovers  its  erect  position. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  the  Common  Barberry  is 
native  to  this  continent,  but  it  thrives  luxuriantly  in 
New  England,  where  it  is  now  well  established  as  a 
wild  shrub.  The  plant  is  most  satisfactory  for  yard  or 
lawn;  is  graceful  in  habit;  most  attractive  when  in 
flower,  and  bears  its  bright  red  berries  long  after  the 
leaves  fall,  and  well  into  the  winter. 

Berberis  canadensis  is  a  rare  plant  of  the  Alleghanies 
which  grows  to  the  height  of  five  feet.  The  leaves  are 

14 


AMERICAN    BARBERRY 


American  Barberry,  Berberis  canadensis. 

Leaves  i'  to  \W  long. 


BARBERRY   FAMILY 

repandly  toothed,  the  teeth  less  bristly-pointed  and  the 
racemes  bear  fewer  flowers  than  those  of  the  Common 
Barberry.  The  petals- are  notched  at  the  apex  and  the 
scarlet  berries  are  oval.  Its  autumnal  tints  are  scarlet 
and  orange. 

The  other  barberries  which  adorn  our  gardens  are 
Asiatic  in  origin.  They  come  from  Siberia,  Afghanis- 
tan, China,  Japan,  and  one,  Berberis  concinna,  from  the 
mountain  valleys  of  the  higher  Himalayas.  Their 
fruit  has  the  well  known  barberry  taste  and  flavor,  and 
the  leaves  of  man}'  of  them  turn  a  beautiful  scarlet  and 
orange  before  they  fall. 

The  old  belief  that  barberries  produced  rust  in  wheat 
has  finally  been  laid  to  rest  by  the  microscope.  The 
two  rusts  are  entirely  different — one  has  nothing  to  do 
with  the  other.  That  one  should  follow  the  other  is 
mere  coincidence. 


MAHONIA.     OREGON   GRAPE 

Berberis  aqitifblium.     MaJibnia  aquifblia. 

Mahonia,  named  in  honor  of  Bernard  McMahon,  a  patron 
of  botanical  science. 

The  Mahonia  is  one  of  that  group  of  valuable  orna- 
mental plants  which  have  come  into  our  gardens  from 
the  Pacific  coast.  It  looks  like  a  holly,  fruits  like  a 
grape  and  is  a  barberry.  In  Oregon  it  is  evergreen, 
here  it  is  subevergreen  ;  if  the  bush  is  protected  some- 
what the  leaves  will  remain  green  throughout  the  win- 
ter, but  if  compelled  to  face  the  full  severity  of  our 
climate,  the  leaves  turn  brown  and  most  of  them  fall. 

16 


MAHONIA 


Mahonia,  Mabotria  aqitifolia. 

Leaflets   iJ4'  to  2'  long. 


BARBERRY   FAMILY 

The  plant  reaches  three  to  six  feet  of  stature ;  the 
leaves  are  compounded  of  five  to  seven  leaflets  and 
each  leaflet  looks  like  the  leaf  of  a  holly.  It  has  the 
same  coarse  teeth,  each  armed  with  a  bristle.  The 
flowers  are  yellow,  they  resemble  those  of  the  barber- 
ry ;  are  borne  in  erect,  clustered  racemes.  The  fruit 
is  a  blue  berry,  the  size  of  a  large  pea,  in  color  and 
bloom  greatly  resembling  the  berries  of  the  Concord 
grape.  The  plant  is  hardy,  and  is  a  real  acquisition 
to  our  flora. 


CIST \CEJE— ROCK-ROSE   FAMILY 

DOWNY   HUDSONIA 
Hudsbnia  tomentbsa. 

Named  in  honor  of  William  Hudson,  a  London  apothecary, 
the  author  of  Flora  Angelica,  published  in  1762. 

A  small,  bushy,  hoary-pubescent  undershrub,  growing  in 
thick  matted  patches,  rising  but  a  few  inches  from  the  ground  ; 
erect  or  slightly  bent.  Found  oftenest  on  the  sandy  plains 
along  the  shore  from  Maine  to  Maryland  ;  especially  abundant 
in  New  Jersey ;  also  found  along  the  border  of  the  Great  Lakes. 
It  has  a  creeping  underground  stem  which  throws  out  many 
roots,  branching  with  threadlike  fibrils. 

Leaves. — Simple,  alternate,  stiff,  lanceolate  or  narrowly 
oblong,  entire,  acute,  close-pressed  and  densely  imbricated  on 
the  stem.  Thickly  covered  with  whitish  down,  and  about  one- 
twelfth  of  an  inch  long. 

flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  small,  bright  yellow,  sessile- 
or  short-stalked  ;  crowded  along  the  upper  part  of  the  branches. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  obtuse,  small,  yellowish  within,  downy 
without;  two  outer  minute,  bractlike ;  the  three  others  larger, 
slightly  twisted  in  the  bud,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  yellow,  much  larger  than  the  sepals, 
convolute  in  bud,  fugacious. 

Stamens. — Nine  to  eighteen,  hypogynous  ;  filaments  slender, 
anthers  short,  innate,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one,  superior,  one-celled  ;  style  long  and 
slender;  stigma  minute. 


ROCK-ROSE    FAMILY 

Fruit. — Capsule  enclosed  in  the  calyx,  obovate-oblong,  gla- 
brous, slightly  three-sided,  one-ceiled,  three-valved,  one  to  three- 
seeded. 

The  Downy  Hudsonia  is  a  little  gray  bush  very 
common  on  the  sea  shore  of  Ne\v  England  and  New 
Jersey  ;  also  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes. 
Because  of  its  long,  slender,  delicate  root  fibres  it  is 
enabled  to  hold  its  own  and  flourish  despite  the  hard 
conditions  of  changing  winds  and  drifting  sands. 

Every  morning  during  the  blooming  season  which 
lasts  two  or  three  weeks,  the  plant  is  covered  with  a 
sheet  of  golden  yellow  flowers,  from  which  the  petals 
fall  by  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  fresh  flowers 
opening  each  day. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Hill  writes  in  Garden  and  Forest  concern- 
ing the  Downy  Hudsonia  as  follows  :  "  Another  plant 
of  the  sand  hills  will  lead  one  to  stop  and  inspect  it 
when  met  with  in  winter.  It  is  the  smallest  shrub  of 
the  flora  of  the  lakes.  The  bush  rises  but  little  above 
the  ground,  six  or  eight  inches  high,  its  stem  usually 
bending  to  one  side.  It  branches  so  excessively  as  to 
have  a  tuft-like  crown.  The  bark  is  very  dark,  almost 
black,  and  the  branches  near  their  ends,  and  all  the 
twigs  are  covered  with  a  gray  tomentum.  When 
seen  in  the  winter  the  plant  seems  dead  and  uninvit- 
ing;  the  slender  t\vigs  break  square  off  as  if  dry,  thus 
adding  to  the  deception.  But  under  a  thick  covering 
of  hairy  scales  are  the  small  green  buds,  and  the  wood 
of  the  fresh  fracture  shows  a  green  color  when  closely 
examined.  These  dry  shrubs  make  their  home  in 
exposed  positions  where  little  else  grows,  striking 
their  roots  firmly  in  the  sand,  and  the  apparently  dead 


DOWNY    HUDSONIA 


Downy  Hudsonia,  Hudsonia  tomentosa. 


ROCK-ROSE    FAMILY 

tufts  at  which  the  wind  tugs  hard  to  draw  them  from 
the  ground  will  be  lively  in  spring  or  early  sum- 
mer with  small  but  numerous  flowers." 

The  other  species,  the  Heath-like  Hudsonia,  Hud- 
sonia  ericoides,  is  less  downy  than  Hudsonia  tomentosa. 
The  leaves  are  slender  and  awl-shaped ;  are  a  little 
longer,  spread  a  little  more,  and  are  covered  with 
longer  and  thinner  hairs  than  those  of  the  Downy 
Hudsonia.  The  old  leaves  are  persistent  and  the  stem 
often  looks  dry.  It  usually  blooms  the  earlier  of  the 
two.  The  flowers  of  both  species  are  very  similar  in 
size  and  color  and  equally  fleeting.  Both  plants  are 
difficult  to  establish  in  gardens,  but  once  established 
they  grow,  spread,  and  make  excellent,  dwarf,  rock 
garden  shrubs ;  they  can  also  be  used  as  a  carpet 
about  taller  plants. 


HYPERICACE^E— ST.     JOHN'S-WORT 
FAMILY 

SHRUBBY  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT 
HypMcum  prolificum. 

Hypericum  is  an  ancient  Greek  name  of  obscure  meaning. 
The  name  St.  John's-wort  was  given  to  the  family  because 
one  member  of  it,  Hypericum  perforatum,  was  believed  in 
olden  times  to  have  the  power  of  keeping  off  evil  spirits, 
who  were  supposed  to  be  particularly  busy  on  St.  John's 
night. 

Low,  one  to  three  feet  high,  diffusely  branched  near  the  base ; 
branchlets  slender,  two-edged ;  stems  stout,  covered  with  light 
reddish  brown  bark  ;  found  in  rocky  or  sandy  soil.  Ranges  from 
New  Jersey  to  Georgia  and  west  to  Michigan  and  Minnesota. 
Variable. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  punctuate  with  small  translucent 
dots,  one  to  three  inches  long,  narrowly  oblong,  sessile  or  nar- 
rowed at  base  into  a  short  petiole,  entire,  mostly  obtuse  at 
apex,  often  mucronate  ;  midvein  prominent,  secondary  veins  ob- 
scure. Tufts  of  small  leaves  frequently  occur  in  the  axils  of 
larger  ones.  Autumnal  tint  is  greenish  yellow. 

Flowers. — July,  September.  Perfect,  bright  yellow,  three- 
fourths  to  an  inch  and  a  half  across,  conspicuous  for  many  sta- 
mens, borne  in  compound  few-flowered  cymes  which  are  terminal 
or  axillary;  bracts  leafy.  Pedicels  three-fourths  to  an  inch  long. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  leaf-like,  shorter  than  the  petals,  persist- 
ent, imbricate  in  bud. 

23 


ST.   JOHN'S-WORT    FAMILY 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  hypogynous,  brilliant  yellow,  convolute 
in  bud. 

Stamens. — Conspicuous,  numerous,  distinct ;  filaments  slen- 
der, bright  yellow ;  anthers  yellow,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  three-celled,  styles  three. 

Fruit. — Capsule  three-lobed,  three-celled,  many-seeded. 

Hypericum  all  bloom,  so  thick  a  swarm 
Of  flowers,  clothing  her  slender  stems, 
That  scarce  a  leaf  appears. 

— COWPER. 

The  Shrubby  St.  John's-\vort  responds  admirably 
to  cultivation,  often  reaching  the  height  of  six  feet  with 
a  wide  spreading  head.  The  flowers  are  extremely 
showy,  borne  as  they  are  in  large  terminal  clusters; 
and  blooming  almost  continuously  from  July  to  Sep- 
tember they  produce  a  glow  of  brilliant  color  among 
the  prevailing  green  of  midsummer  shrubbery. 

Hypericum  densiflorum  is  closely  related  to  Hypericum 
prolificum,  but  a  much  rarer  plant.  Its  leaves  are  lin- 
ear-lanceolate, with  slightly  revolute  margins,  bristle- 
pointed.  The  flowers  are  small,  about  half  an  inch 
across,  and  are  crowded  in  broad,  compact  cymes. 
The  capsules  are  short,  remarkably  slender,  and  with 
the  smaller  flowers  serve  to  distinguish  it  from  Hyper- 
icum prolificum,  which  it  greatly  resembles.  It  is  a 
southern  plant,  coming  naturally  no  farther  north  than 
New  Jersey. 


SHRUBBY   ST.   JOHN'S-WORT 


Shrubby  St.  John's-wort,  Hypericum  prolificum. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long.     Flowers  %'  to  i  %'  across. 


ST.   JOHN'S-WORT   FAMILY 

KALM'S   ST.   JOHN'S-WORT 

Hypdricnm  kalmianuin. 

Named  in  honor  of  Peter  Kalm,  the  Swedish  botanist  who 
discovered  it,  probably  at  Niagara  Falls,  in  1750. 

Low,  one  to  two  feet  high,  freely  branching,  very  leafy, 
branches  four-angled ;  twigs  flattened  and  two-edged  ;  bark  red- 
dish, exfoliating.  Ranges  from  Ontario  and  western  New  York 
to  Wisconsin  and  Michigan. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  one  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long, 
oblong-linear,  or  oblanceolate,  sessile  or ''narrowed  into  a  short 
petiole,  entire,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex,  rather  thick,  dark 
green  above,  paler  or  sometimes  glaucous  beneath  ;  mid  vein 
prominent,  secondary  veins  obscure.  Generally  with  tufts  of 
smaller  leaves  in  the  axils  of  the  larger  ones.  In  autumn  they 
turn  a  greenish  yellow. 

Flowers. — August.  Perfect,  golden  yellow,  one-half  to  one 
inch  across,  borne  in  few-flowered  terminal  cymes. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  oblong,  acute,  leaf-like,  persistent,  one- 
half  the  length  of  the  petals,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  golden  yellow,  convolute  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Very  numerous,  distinct,  conspicuous;  filaments 
yellow,  slender  ;  anthers  orange,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled  ;  styles  five. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid,  five-lobed,  five-celled,  many-seeded. 

This  St.  John's-wort  was  first  discovered  upon  the 
wet  rocks  at  Niagara  Falls  and  finds  its  most  con- 
genial home  in  the  region  about  the  Great  Lakes.  It 
is  rather  a  rare  plant.  The  chief  botanical  distinction 
between  Hypericum  kalmianum  and  Hypericum  pro- 
lificum  lies  in  the  five  styles  and  five-celled  capsules  of 
the  one,  and  the  three  styles  and  three-celled  capsules 
of  the  other.  In  cultivated  seedlings,  however,  these 
distinctions  are  not  constant  and  sometimes  the  cells 
vary  from  three  to  six. 

26 


KALM'S   ST.   JOHN'S-WORT 


Kalm's  St.  John's-wort,  Hrpericmn  kalmiawtm. 
Leaves  i'  to  1%'  long.     Flowers  %'  to  i'  across. 


ST.   JOHN'S-WORT   FAMILY 


ASCYRUM.     ST.   PETER'S-WORT 

Ascyrum  stdns. 

Ascyrum,  an  ancient  Greek  name  of  an  unknown  plant ; 
without  special  significance  here. 

A  small,  stout  shrub,  one  to  two  feet  high,  in  dry  or  sandy 
soil,  found  frequently  in  pine-barrens.  Ranges  from  Long 
Island  along  the  coast  to  Florida  and  Texas.  Stem  smooth, 
erect  and  straight,  two-edged  or  slightly  winged. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  oval  or  oblong, 
one  to  one  and  a  half  inches  long,  sessile  at  base,  somewhat 
clasping,  entire,  rounded  at  apex.  When  full  grown,  rather 
thick,  pale  green,  black-dotted. 

flowers. — July,  August.  Perfect,  showy,  bright  yellow, 
about  an  inch  across,  borne  in  terminal  few-flowered  cymes. 
Pedicels  half  an  inch  long,  two-bracted  below  the  middle. 

Calyx. — Sepals  four;  in  pairs,  the  outer  round-cordate,  the 
inner  lanceolate. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  obovate,  very  deciduous,  convolute  in 
bud. 

Stamens. — Many,  hypogynous,  distinct  or  slightly  clustered. 
Pistil.  — Ovary  superior,  one-celled  ;  styles  three  or  four. 
Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid,  one-celled;  seeds  many. 

ST.   ANDREW'S   CROSS 

Ascyrum  hypericoides.     Ascyrum  crux-dndrece. 

Low,  much  branched  and  decumbent,  six  to  ten  inches  high: 
found  in  dry  sandy  soil;  stem  smooth,  flattened  and  two-edged. 
Ranges  from  Massachusetts  to  Florida,  westward  to  Illinois  and 
Nebraska  and  southwest  to  Indian  Territory  and  Texas. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  one-half  to  an 
inch  and  a  half  long,  narrow-oblong  or  obovate,  narrowed  at 

28 


ST.   ANDREW'S   CROSS 

base,   entire,    rounded  at  apex ;    when  full    grown,    thin,  pale 
green,  black-dotted,  usually  two  glands  at  base. 

Flowers. — July,  August.  Perfect,  regular,  yellow,  terminal 
and  axillary,  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  across.  Pedi- 
cels short,  two-bracted. 

Calyx. — Sepals  four  ;  the  two  outer  very  broad  and  leaf-like ; 
the  inner  much  smaller,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  oblique,  bright  yellow,  hypogynous, 
convolute  in  bud,  oblong-linear,  about  the  length  of  the  outer 
sepals,  approaching  each  other  in  pairs  in  the  form  of  St. 
Andrew's  cross. 

Stamens. — Many,  hypogynous,  scarcely  in  clusters. 
Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  one-celled,  styles  two. 
Fruit. — Capsule,  one-celled,  many-seeded. 


Among  the  different  crosses  known  in  the  symbol- 
ism of  the  Christian  church  that  of  St.  Andrew  is  dis- 
tinguished by  its  oblique 
arms  which  are  arranged  in 
the  form  of  an  X.  This  little 
shrub  gains  its  specific  as 
well  as  its  common  name  be- 
cause its  four  petals  make  a 
very  perfect  St.  Andrew's 
cross. 

The  plant  is  not  very  gen- 
erally known,  although  it  is 
rather  common  in  the  pine- 
barrens  of  New  Jersey,  and 
not  rare  along  the  coast. 

Closely   related   to    the   St. 
John's-worts,  it  differs  in  having   four   petals  instead 
of  five;  in  its  four  unequal  sepals,  and  its  numerous 

29 


St.  Andrew's  Cross,  tAscyrum  hyper- 
icoidei.  Leaves  %'  to  \%'  long. 
Flowers  %'  to  %'  across. 


ST.  JOHN'S-WORT   FAMILY 

distinct,  not  clustered  stamens.  The  bloom  continues 
through  the  better  part  of  the  summer,  and  the  habit 
of  the  plant  is  to  spread  into  broad  mats,  no  stem  ris- 
ing higher  than  four  or  five  inches.  Although  a  plant 
of  the  sands  it  does  very  well  in  rock  gardens. 


THEACE.E— TEA   FAMILY 

STUARTIA 
Studrtia  pentdgyna. 

Stuartia,  in  honor  of  John  Stuart,  Marquis  of  Bute,  who 
was  characterized  by  Linnaeus  as  "  a  most  knowing  bota- 
nist." 

An  erect,  sturdy  shrub  six  to  twelve  feet  high,  native 
to  the  mountains  of  Virginia  and  southward.  The 
leaves  are  large,  frequently  five  inches  long,  rather 
thick  and  heavy ;  the  margins  slightly  serrulate  or 
entire. 

The  plant  is  really  one  of  the  most  attractive  of 
summer  blooming  shrubs.  It  has  been  cultivated  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years ;  is  fairly  hardy  at  the 
north,  perfectly  so  at  the  Arnold  Arboretum,  yet  is 
virtually  unknown  in  northern  gardens. 

The  flowers  are  solitary,  borne  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves  ;  the  blooming  period  extends  through  July  and 
August.  The  buds  are  large,  round  and  fully  an  inch 
in  diameter  before  they  expand. 

The  flowers  are  cream-white,  three  to  four  inches 
across  and  look  not  unlike  a  single  camellia.  Each 
flower  has  five  petals  normally,  though  sometimes 
there  are  more,  and  each  petal  is  one  to  one  and  a  half 


TEA   FAMILY 


Stuartia,  Stuartia  pentagyna. 

Leaves  3'  to  5'  long.     Flowers  3'  to  4'  across. 


GORDONIA 


Gordonia,  Gordonia  pubescens. 

Leaves  5'  to  6'  long. 


TEA   FAMILY 


inches  broad  and  two  inches  long ;  the  edges  are  some- 
what  crimped  and  scalloped.  In  the  centre  of  the 
flower  is  a  cluster  of  many  stamens  with  large  orange- 
colored  anthers.  In  full  bloom  the  plant  is  an  object 
of  surpassing  beauty. 


GORDONIA 

Gordbnia  pubtscens.     Gordbnia  aliamdha. 
Named  in  honor  of  James  Gordon,  a  London  nurseryman. 

Gordonia pubescent  has  a  unique  history,  for  so  far  as 
known  the  species  at  one  time  consisted  of  a  single 
individual ;  and  all  the  plants  of  the  species  now  ex- 
isting are  the  offspring  of  that  ancestor.  The  original 
form  was  discovered  in  Georgia  and  planted  in  the 
Bartram  Gardens  near  Philadelphia  in  1790.  Since 
that  time  all  efforts  to  rediscover  the  tree  have  been 
futile  and  it  is  now  believed  that  no  other  wild  speci- 
men exists.  Either  by  mere  chance  a  species  was  res- 
cued as  it  was  upon  the  point  of  extinction,  or  the  in- 
dividual discovered  was  a  hybrid  of  a  different  species. 

The  plant  is  a  fairly  hardy  shrub  eight  to  ten  feet 
high  in  the  Arnold  Arboretum  ;  at  the  south  it  be- 
comes a  small  tree.  The  bright  shining  foliage  is  very 
handsome,  and  ere  the  leaves  fall  they  assume  a  rich 
crimson  tint.  The  blossoms  are  pure  white,  deliciously 
fragrant,  three  inches  across,  with  a  cluster  of  bright 
yellow  stamens  within.  The  petals  do  not  continue 
very  long,  falling  usually  upon  the  second  day. 

The  high  personal  value  of  the  shrub  rests  upon  the 
fact  that  it  is  an  autumn  bloomer.  The  flowers  appear 

34 


GORDONIA 

early  in  September  and  continue  throughout  October. 
Severe  early  frosts  will  blast  the  buds,  but  usually  the 
bloom  is  sufficiently  abundant  to  repay  for  all  care 
that  has  been  expended. 

The  original  tree  in  the  Bartram  Gardens  has  re- 
cently died,  but  it  lives  in  the  persons  of  hundreds  of 
descendants.  A  fine  specimen  is  reported  as  growing 
in  Lafayette  Square,  Washington. 


MALVACEAE— MALLOW   FAMILY 

ROSE-OF-SHARON.     SHRUBBY   ALTHAEA 

Hibiscus  syriacus. 

Hibiscus,  a  classical  name  of  unknown  meaning.  Althaea, 
given  in  allusion  to  the  supposed  healing  properties  of  the 
species. 

An  erect  shrub,  ten  to  twenty  feet  high,  received  from 
Europe,  but  a  native  of  Asia  ;  thoroughly  acclimated  in  northern 
gardens. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  palmately  three-nerved,  two  to 
three  and  a  half  inches  long,  obovate  or  rhomboidal,  almost 
three-lobed,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  coarsely  and  irregularly  ser- 
rate, entire  from  middle  to  base;  when  full  grown  bright  green, 
and  glabrous  above,  paler  green  beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn 
a  clear  yellow,  or  fall  without  change,  remaining  on  the  branches 
until  late. 

Flowers. — -August,  September.  Showy,  abundant,  looking 
like  hollyhocks,  in  color  ranging  through  rose,  scarlet  and  ma- 
genta to  white,  perfect,  solitary  or  two  or  three  together,  odor- 
less, nectar-bearing. 

Calyx. — Five-lobed,  surrounded  by  a  whorl  of  slender,  linear, 
pointed  bractlets,  persistent,  valvate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  veiny,  short-clawed,  rose,  scarlet,  ma- 
genta, white,  often  with  an  eye  of  different  color  from  that  of 
the  petal,  convolute  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Many,  monadelphous  in  a  column  formed  by  the 
union  of  the  filaments,  united  at  base  with  the  claws  of  the 

36 


SHRUBBY   ALTHAEA 


Shrubby  Althaea,  Hibiscus  syriaais. 

Leaves  z'  to  3^'  long.     Flowers  yf  to  }'  across. 


MALLOW   FAMILY 

petals ;  anthers  kidney -shaped,  one-celled  ;  cells  opening  along 
the  top. 

Pistil. — Ovaries  several,  united  in  a  ring,  forming  a  five- 
celled  pod. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid,  five-lobed,  five-celled,  many-seeded. 
Seeds  kidney-shaped. 

A  stranger  from  a  far-off  land,  the  Althaea  has 
bloomed  in  English  gardens  for  three  hundred  years 
and  has  been  in  America  at  least  one  hundred.  It  is 
here  proving  itself  an  excellent  city  plant ;  flourishing 
even  where  soft  coal  is  burned  and  where  the  atmos- 
phere is  laden  with  gas  and  smoke.  Its  habit  of  mid- 
summer bloom  makes  it  a  favorite,  together  with  its 
remarkable  freedom  from  insects'  attacks  and  fungus 
enemies. 

One  characteristic  of  the  bush  is  very  noticeable. 
The  stem  and  larger  branches  of  a  thrifty  individual 
are  apparently  directly  clothed  with  leaves  ;  really  the 
little  groups  of  leaves  are  borne  at  the  summit  of 
dwarfed  branchlets,  not  more  than  an  inch  long  and 
frequently  shorter.  In  winter  these  are  very  apparent. 

The  varieties  of  Althaeas  offered  by  the  dealers  are 
legion.  Plants  with  green  leaves  and  plants  with 
variegated  ones ;  flowers  single  and  flowers  double  ; 
light-eyed  or  dark-eyed,  ranging  through  purple,  ma- 
genta and  rose  to  white.  The  plant  is  a  mallow,  be- 
longing to  the  family  of  which  the  hollyhock  is  the 
type;  and  the  single  flowers  look  like  hollyhocks. 
When  the  flower  doubles,  the  additional  petals  spring 
from  the  central  column  of  united  stamens.  Linnaeus 
supposed  the  plant  was  a  native  of  Asia  Minor;  it  is 
now  believed  to  be  of  Chinese  origin. 

38 


TAMARISCE.E— TAMARISK   FAMILY 

TAMARISK 
Tdmarix. 

So  called,  according  to  some,  from  the  plants  growing  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Tamaras,  now  Tambra,  on  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Pyrenees  ;  or  according  to  others,  from  the 
Hebrew  word  tamaris,  cleansing,  on  account  of  their 
branches  being  used  for  brooms. 

The  Tamarisks  are  a  group  of  tall  shrubs  inhabit- 
ing a  broad  continental  belt  extending  from  Central 
Europe  to  the  China  Sea.  In  favoring  climates  they 
are  subevergreen,  with  us  they  are  frankly  deciduous. 
We  have  no  native  shrub  that  in  any  way  resembles 
them.  The  stems  are  erect  but  so  slender  that  the 
whole  plant  sways  with  the  wind.  The  branchlets  and 
spray  are  so  delicate  and  at  the  same  time  so  abun- 
dant that  the  effect  of  the  plant  is  that  of  a  green  feath- 
ery mass.  Moreover,  this  effect  is  produced  by  the 
spray  alone,  for  although  leaves  are  present  in  great 
numbers,  they  are  minute  green  scales,  closely  imbri- 
cated and  scarcely  separable  from  the  bark.  The 
flowers  are  small,  usually  pink,  borne  in  racemes  or  in 
terminal  panicles  which  give  a  charming  effect  among 
the  soft  foliage.  The  fruit  is  a  small  capsule. 

39 


TAMARISK    FAMILY 

The  Tamarisk  is  especially  recommended  for  sea- 
side planting,  as  it  is  perfectly  hardy  there,  will  grow 
and  flourish  even  under  the  wash  of  the  salt  sea  spray. 
The  minute  leaves  and  pliant  stems  enable  the  plant 
successfully  to  withstand  a  storm  that  would  rend 
another  one  in  sunder. 

The  African  Tamarisk,  Tainarix parvifolia,  Tamarix 
tetrandra,  Tainarix  africana,  is  perhaps  the  earliest 
species  to  bloom  ;  the  small  pink  flowers  appearing  in 
great  abundance  along  the  slender  branches  of  the 
previous  season's  growth  in  May  or  early  in  June. 

The  French  Tamarisk,  Tamarix  gallica,  a  native  of 
the  Mediterranean  regions  of  Europe,  has  long  been 
in  cultivation.  It  attains  the  height  of  eight  or  ten 
feet.  Its  small  pink  flowers  appear  in  slender  spikes 
at  the  end  of  the  slender  branches.  The  twigs  and 
branches  are  conspicuous  because  of  their  copper- 
colored  or  reddish  bark.  The  plant  is  very  tolerant 
of  the  knife  and  can  be  trained  to  almost  any  desired 
form. 

The  late-flowering  Tamarisk,  commonly  known  as 
Tamarix  indica,  unlike  those  already  named,  blooms  on 
wood  of  the  same  season.  Flowering  profusely  in 
August  and  September,  it  ranks  with  the  Althsea  as  a 
desirable  autumn  plant. 

Seme  form  of  the  Tamarisk  has  been  in  cultivation 
from  most  ancient  times.  It  seems  to  have  been 
highly  valued  among  the  ancient  Arabians  for  its 
medicinal  qualities.  The  plant  is  mentioned  by  many 
of  the  ancient  poets  ;  Homer  makes  it  the  tree  against 
which  Achilles  laid  his  spear  before  he  plunged  into 
the  Xanthus  to  pursue  the  flying  Trojans  ;  Theocri- 

40 


TAMARISK 


Tamarisk. 


TAMARISK   FAMILY 

tus  in  his  Pastorals,  Virgil  in  his  Eclogues,  and  Ovid 
in  several  of  his  poems,  all  refer  to  this  plant.  Evelyn 
speaks  of  it  as  a  tree  accursed ;  and  says  that  the 
Romans  wove  wreaths  of  it  with  which  they  crowned 
their  criminals. 


RUTACE/E— RUE   FAMILY 


PRICKLY  ASH 

Xanthtixylum  americanum. 

Derived  from  two  Greek  words,  xanthos,  yellow,  and  xylon, 
wood. 

Low   branching,  sometimes    becoming   a  small  tree,   usually 
four  to   twelve  feet  high ;     growing   in  rocky    woods   and    on 
river  banks.     Ranges  from  Quebec  to  Virginia  especially  along 
the  mountains,  west  to  Minnesota,  Ne- 
braska,  and   Missouri.     Bark,  leaves, 
and  fruit  pungent  and  aromatic  ;  stems 
and  often  leaf -stalks   prickly;    wood 
pale,  yellowish  brown. 


Bark. — Branchlets  pale  brown, 
downy ;  later  smooth,  light  gray ; 
finally  dark  gray. 

Winter  buds.  —  Round,  reddish 
brown,  with  two,  short,  sharp  prickles 
just  beneath. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  pinnately  com- 
pound, dotted  with  oil  glands  ;  leaflets 
five  to  eleven,  nearly  sessile,  one  and 
one-fourth  to  two  inches  long,  ovate 
or  ovate  -  oblong,  wedge  -  shaped  or 
rounded  at  base,  entire  or  crenulate, 
acute  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  are 
dark  green  above,  pale  green  and 

43 


Leaf  of  Prickly  Ash.     Leaflets 
i'  to  2'  long. 


RUE   FAMILY 


Prickly  Ash,  Xantboxylum  americannm,  in  flower. 


WAFER    ASH 

downy  beneath.  Autumnal  tints  are  scarlet  touched  with  yel- 
low. Two  stout  prickles  are  on  the  stem  just  below  the  clusters 
of  leaves  and  flowers. 

Flowers. — April,  May,  before  or  with  the  leaves.  Dio3cious, 
small,  greenish  white,  borne  in  short  umbels  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Sepals  four  to  five  or  obsolete ;  petals  five  j  stamens 
four  to  five:  pistils  two  to  five,  with  slender  styles  slightly 
united.  Capsules  ellipsoid,  thick  and  fleshy,  on  short  stalks, 
two-valved,  one  to  two-seeded  ;  seeds  black,  smooth,  shining. 

The  common  name  of  Prickly  Ash  explains  itself; 
the  stem  of  the  shrub  is  prickly  and  its  leaves  resem- 
ble those  of  the  ashes.  There  the  likeness  ceases. 
The  small  greenish  flowers  are  inconspicuous  and 
appear  early.  All  parts  of  the  shrub  are  pungent 
and  aromatic  ;  when  the  leaves  are  crushed  they  yield 
a  strong  lemon-like  odor. 


WAFER   ASH.     HOP-TREE 

Ptelea  trifoliata. 

Ptelea,  the  Greek  name  of  the  elm-tree,  transferred  to  this 
genus  because  of  the  similarity  of  the  fruits.  Wafer  refers 
to  the  size  and  shape  of  the  fruit.  Hop  re- 
calls the  fact  that  the  leaves  have  been  sub- 
stituted for  hops  in  the  making  of  beer. 


The    Wafer    Ash,    though    small,    is 
arborescent  in   habit  and   properly  de- 
scribed as  a  tree ;  but  it  consorts  with 
the  shrubs  and  is  grouped   with  them    samaras  of  the  wafer 
for  landscape  effects.     The  green  flow- 
.ers,  though  abundant,  are  inconspicuous  and  the  plant 
does  not  become  noticeable  before  midsummer ;  then 
the  winged  seed  vessels  mature  and  form  great  greeii- 

45 


RUE   FAMILY 


Wafer  Ash,  Ptelea  trifoliata, 

Leaflets  2'  to  5'  long. 


WAFER    ASH 

ish  white  clusters  well  scattered  among  the  foliage, 
sometimes  fairly  overpowering  it.  This  unusual  com- 
bination of  the  pale  green  of  the  samaras  with  the  dark 
green  of  the  leaves  gives  the  plant  its  decorative  value. 
The  name  of  Wafer  seems  to  refer  to  the  size  and  form 
of  the  fruit ;  and  Hop-tree  indicates  that  the  leaves 
have  beer,  used  instead  of  hops  in  the  manufacture  of 
beer. 


ILICfNE^E— HOLLY   FAMILY 

WINTER-BERRY.     BLACK   ALDER 

Ilex  verticillata. 
Ilex,  an  ancient  Latin  name,  here  probably  misapplied. 

A  handsome  shrub,  varying  from  five  to  ten  feet  high,  con- 
spicuoiis  for  its  clusters  of  bright  scarlet  berries  which  cling  to 
the  branches  well  into  the  winter ;  found  in  low  grounds,  moist 
woods,  and  swamps.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida,  west 
to  Ontario,  Wisconsin,  and  Missouri. 

Bark. — Dark  clouded  gray;  branchlets  at  first  yellow  green, 
later  become  grayish  brown,  finally  dark  gray;  bitter  and  as- 
tringent, medicinal.  Winter  buds  extremely  minute. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  to  three 
inches  long,  oval,  obovate  or  oblong-lanceolate,  wedge-shaped  at 
base,  serrate,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex.  They  come  out  of 
the  bud  involute,  yellow  green,  smooth  above,  densely  hairy  be- 
neath ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  green,  thick,  glabrous  above, 
somewhat  downy  beneath  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed 
above,  prominent  beneath.  In  autumn  they  darken  or  fall  with 
little  change  of  color.  Petiole  one-half  an  inch  long,  grooved. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Polygamo-dioecious,  greenish  white, 
small.  The  staminate  are  in  crowded  clusters  of  three  to  twelve 
in  the  axils  "of  the  leaves  ;  peduncles  short  with  small  brown  scales 
at  the  base.  The  pistillate  are  solitary  or  clustered.  Parts  of 
the  pistillate  flowers  are  in  fours,  fives  or  sixes  ;  those  of  the 
staminate  commonly  in  sixes.  Corolla  rotate,  segments  imbri- 
cate in  bud  ;  stamens  inserted  on  the  base  of  the  corolla;  an- 
thers large,  brown,  two-celled. 

48 


BLACK    ALDER 


Black  Alder,  Ilex  verticil/ata. 

Flowers  |V  to  '/£'  across. 


HOLLY   FAMILY 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  one-fourth  to  five-sixteenths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  globular  or  slightly  depressed,  solitary  or  in 
clusters  of  two  or  three,  scarlet,  rarely  yellow ;  sits  in  the  per- 
sistent calyx  and  is  crowned  with  the  remnants  of  the  stigma. 
Pulp  yellowish,  nauseous  ;  seeds  three  to  eight.  Remains  long 
after  the  leaves  have  fallen.  September. 

And  I  will  trust  that  He  who  heeds 
The  life  that  hides  in  mead  and  wold, 
Who  hangs  yon  alder's  crimson  beads, 
And  stains  these  mosses  green  and  gold, 
Will  still,  as  He  hath  done,  incline 
His  gracious  care  to  me  and  mine. 

— JOHN  G.  WHITTIER. 

*     *     *     With  coral  beads,  the  prim  black  alders  shine. 

— JAMES  RUSSEI.L  LOWELL. 

I  see  where  a  mouse,  which  had  a  hole  under  a  stump,  has  eaten  out 
clean  the  inside  of  the  little  seeds  of  the  Prinos  verticillala  berries.  What 
pretty  fruit  for  them,  these  bright  berries  !  They  run  up  the  twigs  in  the 
night  and  gather  this  shining  fruit,  take  out  the  small  seeds  and  eat  these 
kernels  at  the  entrance  to  their  burrows.  The  ground  is  strewn  with  them. 

— HENRY  D.  THOREAU. 
Notes  written  November  19,  1857. 

One  often  feels  that  a  plant  is  not  without  honor  save 
in  its  own  country.  Here  is  a  native  Holly  which 
equals  if  it  does  not  surpass  in  brilliancy  and  beauty  of 
fruit  coloring-  any  imported  plant  in  our  garden,  and 
yet  it  is  virtually  unknown.  Its  charm  lies  in  its  abun- 
dant scarlet  berries  which  cling  to  the  branches  in  the 
axil  of  every  leaf  and  after  the  leaves  fall  still  cling  to 
the  naked  stems.  At  the  north  they  fall  by  midwinter, 
in  the  south  they  remain  until  pushed  off  by  the  grow- 
ing buds  of  spring.  The  birds,  it  seems,  will  have  none 
of  them,  the  thin  flesh  is  too  nauseous,  and  the  nutlets 
are  too  many;  but  the  field  mice  are  not  so  particular. 

In  northern  Ohio  the  Winter-berry  adorns  the 

50 


BLACK    ALDER 


Black  Alder,  Ilex  -certicillata. 

Leaves  a'  to  3'  long.     Fruit  y^'  to  fa'  in  diameter. 


HOLLY    FAMILY 

swamps  and  lowlands  in  company  with  the  Carolina 
rose.  In  June  the  rose  has  the  advantage,  but  when 
October  comes  and  the  Winter-berry  stands  clothed  in 
scarlet,  aflame  to  the  utmost  tip  of  its  tiniest  twig,  it, 
too,  has  its  day. 

In  cultivation  the  bush  properly  belongs  to  the 
group  of  plants  prized  for  the  distinctly  effective  color- 
ing of  their  fruit;  such  as,  the  snowberries,  the  barber- 
ries  and  the  burning  bushes. 

SMOOTH   WINTER-BERRY 

Ilex   Icevigata. 

A  very  pretty  shrub,  six  to  ten  feet  high ;  found  in  deep  wet 
swamps,  from  Maine  to  Virginia. 

Bark. — Twigs  and  branches  smooth  brownish  green  ;  stems 
grayish,  frequently  the  host  of  many  gray  lichens. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  sometimes  in  tufts,  simple,  pinnately 
veined,  oval  or  oblong,  two  or  three  inches  long,  acute  at  base 
and  apex,  obscurely  serrate,  often  slightly  revolute  ;  when  full 
grown  are  thin,  light  green,  shining  above  and  beneath,  glabrous, 
sometimes  hairy  along  the  veins  beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn 
bright  yellow.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect  or  dioecious,  small,  white,  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  across,  borne  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  The 
staminate  are  scattered  or  in  twos,  on  very  slender  pedicels.  The 
pistillate  are  solitary,  sessile  or  short-stalked. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  bright  red,  one-fourth  to  one-third 
of  an  inch  in  diameter;  falls  earlier  than  that  of  Ilex  verticil- 
lata.  September. 

The  Smooth  Winter-berry  should  be  better  known; 
for  although  native  to  the  swamps  it  does  not  disdain 
a  garden  home.  Often  confounded  with  the  Black 
Alder,  it  may  be  distinguished  from  it;  in  the  spring 

52 


SMOOTH   WINTER-BERRY 


Smooth  Winter-berry,  Ilex  la-cigaia. 

Leaves  2'  to  3'  long.     Fruit  J£'  to  A'  '"  diameter. 


HOLLY   FAMILY 

by  the  longer  stalks  of  the  sterile  flowers ;  in  autumn  by 
its  leaves  which  turn  bright  yellow  before  they  fall. 
Possibly,  the  fruit  is  not  quite  so  abundant  as  that  of 
Ilex  vcrticillata;  does  not  cling  to  the  branches  quite  so 
late ;  and  on  the  average  is  larger  and  more  scattered. 

INKBERRY.     EVERGREEN   WINTER-BERRY 

Ilex  glabra. 

Slender,  delicate-looking,  evergreen,  two  to  six  feet  high, 
growing  in  sandy  soil ;  found  mainly  near  the  coast  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Louisiana. 

Leaves. —  Evergreen,  alternate,  simple,  oblong  or  oblanceolate, 
one  to  two  inches  long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  serrate  with  two 
or  three  teeth  toward  the  apex,  or  entire,  apex  obtuse  or  acute; 
when  full  grown  dark  green,  leathery,  shining  above,  paler  and 
black-dotted  beneath.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — June.  Perfect  or  dioecious,  small,  white,  six- 
pointed,  borne  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Staminate  in  few-flow- 
ered cymes ;  pistillate  generally  solitary,  sometimes  two  or  three 
together ;  pedicels  slender. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  black,  globose,  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  ;  six-seeded  ;  nutlets  smooth. 

This  broad-leaved  evergreen  of  the  United  States 
has  been  cultivated  in  England  for  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years,  but  has  not  yet  made  its  way  into  our  own 
gardens. 

Its  natural  habit  is  rather  tall  and  straggling,  but 
under  cultivation  the  bush  assumes  a  more  compact 
form.  The  leaves  remain  bright  green  and  glossy 
throughout  the  winter,  while  the  shining  black  ber- 
ries give  an  added  grace.  It  is  a  beautiful  plant  and 
should  be  cultivated  both  for  its  summer  and  for  its 
winter  beauty. 

54 


Inkberry,  Ilex  glabra. 

Leaves  i'  to  2'  long.     Fruit  \i'  in  diameter. 


HOLLY  FAMILY 

MOUNTAIN  HOLLY 

Iliciotdes  mucronata.     Nemopdnthes  fasciciilaris. 

Ilicioides,   resembling   holly.     Nemopanthes,  flower  with  a 
slender  peduncle. 

A  slender  shrub,  varying  in  height  from  six  to  twelve  feet. 
Found  in  swamps  and  low  wet  woods  from  Nova  Scotia  to 
western  Ontario  and  southward  to  Virginia,  Indiana,  and 
Wisconsin. 

Bark. — Greenish  gray  or  ashen  gray,  often  the  host  of  many 
lichens  ;  shoots  glabrous,  reddish  brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  sometimes  tufted,  simple,  pinnately 
veined,  one-half  to  two  inches  long,  elliptic  or  obovate,  rounded 
or  acute  at  base,  entire  or  obscurely  serrate,  acute  or  mucronate 
at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  are  light  yellow  green,  glabrous; 
mid  vein  and  primary  veins  prominent.  Petiole  grooved,  red- 
dish, about  one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  long. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Polysramo-dioecious,  white,  small,  on 
long  slender  pedicels  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves;  staminate  flow- 
ers solitary  or  two  to  four  together;  pistillate  solitary.  The 
parts  of  the  flowers  vary  from  three  to  five. 

Fruit. — -Berry-like  drupe,  sub-globose,  bright  red,  one-fourth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter;  nutlets  four  to  five.  September. 

The  Mountain  Holly  is  the  one  species  of  its  genus. 
The  leaves  often  grow  in  tufts  on  short  lateral 
branches  and  so  give  a  leafy  effect  to  the  tree.  Com- 
pared with  other  species  of  the  Holly  family  it  falls 
far  below  them  in  attractiveness. 


MOUNTAIN    HOLLY 


Mountain  Holly,  llicioides  mitcronata. 

Leaves  ^'  to  2'  Ions;.     Fruit  ^'  in  diameter. 


CELASTRACE.E— STAFF-TREE   FAMILY 

RUNNING  STRAWBERRY  BUSH.   RUNNING  EUONY- 

MUS 

Euonymus   obovatus. 
Euonymus,  of  Greek  derivation,  signifies  good  repute. 

Low,  straggling,  decumbent,  the  main  stems  lying  on  the 
ground  and  rooting  at  the  nodes ;  upright  stems  rarely  more 
than  one  foot  high ;  found  in  low  woods  and  wet  places. 
Ranges  from  Ontario  to  Pennsylvania  and  westward  to  Indiana 
and  Kentucky.  Branches  green,  four-angled  or  slightly  winged. 

Leaves. — Simple,  opposite,  pinnately  veined,  one  to  two 
inches  long,  obovate,  or  oblong,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  finely 
crenulate-serrulate,  obtuse  at  apex,  glabrous,  thin,  dull  green 
above,  paler  green  beneath. 

flowers.—  April,  May.  Perfect,  purplish  green  ;  pedicels 
solitary,  long,  slender,  one  to  four-flowered,  borne  in  the  axils 
of  the  leaves. 

Calyx. — Four  to  five-cleft ;  lobes  spreading. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  nearly  orbicular,  crenulate  or  erose,  with 
scarcely  any  claw,  inserted  beneath  the  five-lobed  disk. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  disk. 

Pistil. — Ovary  sessile,  three-celled  ;  stigma  three-lobed. 

Fruit. — Fleshy,  dehiscent,  two-celled,  rough,  warty  capsule, 
borne  on  a  long  drooping  pedicel ;  when  mature  is  crimson  and 
white,  and  opens  to  discharge  two  to  three  white  oval  seeds  en- 
closed in  a  scarlet  aril.  Beautiful,  persistent.  September. 

58 


RUNNING   EUONYMUS 


Running  Euonymus,  Euonymus  obovatus,  in  fruit. 

Leaves  i'  to  z'  long. 


STAFF-TREE    FAMILY 

The  Running  Euonymus  was  long  regarded  a  va- 
riety of  Euonymus  americanus,  but  is  now  considered 
a  distinct  species.  It  is  an  admirable  carpet  shrub  to 
cover  waste  places,  as  it  will  flourish,  both  in  sun  and 
in  shade,  and  looks  bright  and  fresh  and  green  late 
into  the  autumn.  It  is  well  placed  upon  a  bank,  its 
scarlet  and  crimson  fruit  makes  a  beautiful  combination 
with  the  green.  It  seems  to  be  immune  to  the  attacks 
of  insects,  probably  because  of  the  acrid  character  of 
its  juices. 

The  chief  attraction  of  all  the  burning  bushes  is 
the  unique  and  beautiful  fruit  which  ripens  in  early 
autumn  and  hangs  upon  the  branches  long  after  the 
leaves  have  fallen.  While  there  are  minor  differences 
which  are  considered  specific  characters,  the  family 
fruit  is  a  fleshy  capsule  more  or  less  lobed,  sometimes 
warty  and  sometimes  smooth,  becoming  crimson 
when  ripe  and  finally  opening  to  discharge  beautiful, 
bright  scarlet  seeds,  so  that  the  effect  is  a  brilliant 
scarlet-crimson  combination;  and  as  many  species 
fruit  abundantly  the  plants  are  sought  whenever  late 
autumnal  effects  are  desired.  The  burning  bushes 
rank  with  the  barberries,  the  snowberries  and  the 
winter-berries  as  decorative  shrubs. 

The  Strawberry  Bush,  Euonymus  americanus,  is  a 
native  of  low  woods,  ranging  from  southern  New 
York  to  Florida  and  westward  to  Nebraska,  and  Texas. 
It  certainly  is  not  as  abundant  in  the  middle  west  as 
Euonymus  obovatns.  It  is  an  erect  shrub  growing  two 
to  six  feet  high,  with  four-angled  and  ash-colored 
twigs;  the  branches  set  upon  the  stem  at  wide  angles. 
The  leaves  are  opposite,  thick,  almost  sessile,  crenu- 

60 


RUNNING  STRAWBERRY   BUSH 

late,  bright  green,  varying  from  ovate  to  oblong- 
lanceolate,  acute  at  apex.  The  flowers  are  green  with 
a  suggestion  of  pinkish  purple,  borne  on  peduncles  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves;  parts  mostly  in  fives.  The 
fruiting  capsule  is  rough,  warty,  depressed,  crimson 
when  ripe,  and  opens  to  disclose  its  scarlet  covered 
seeds.  Euonymns  amcricanus  and  Euonymus  obovatus 
are  alike  in  their  fruit;  the  chief  specific  difference 
lies  in  their  habits  of  growth. 

Wahoo,  Burning  Bush,  Euonymns  atropurpureus,  is  a 
shrub  at  the  north,  but  easily  becomes  a  tree  and  is 
described  among  the  trees.  The  plant  is  very  exten- 
sively cultivated  and  is  worthy  of  all  the  attention 
given  it.  The  small  flowers  are  purple,  not  green,  the 
fruit  is  deeply  three  to  four-lobed,  and  smooth,  not 
warty.  When  ripe  the  purplish  scarlet  capsule  opens 
to  discharge  the  crimson  covered  seeds.  Like  all  its 
family  it  holds  its  fruit  late  into  the  autumn. 


61 


RHAMNACE.E— BUCKTHORN    FAMILY 

ALDER-LEAVED    BUCKTHORN 

Rhdmnus  alnifolia. 

Rhamnus  is  the  ancient  Greek  name,  with  no  obvious  sig- 
nification. 

A  stout  leafy  shrub,  two  to  three  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps 
on  moist  lands  and  in  swamps.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick 
to  British  Columbia,  south  to  New  Jersey,  west  to  Illinois,  Ne- 
braska, and  Montana. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  to  four 
inches  long,  ovate,  acute  or  rounded  at  base,  serrate,  acute  at 
apex  ;  midvein  or  primary  veins  prominent.  They  come  out 
of  the  bud  plicate,  yellow  green,  shining,  smooth  above,  some- 
what hairy  below,  shining  and  glabrous;  when  full  grown  are 
dark  green.  Petioles  one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  long. 

This  native  of  swamps,  like  so  many  of  its  compan- 
ions, takes  kindly  to  cultivation,  and  in  the  garden 
makes  a  clump  of  erect  stems  and  handsome  foliage. 
Neither  the  small  yellow  flowers  nor  the  black  fruit 
are  conspicuous.  The  plant  is  used  by  landscape  gar- 
deners as  a  border  shrub. 

LANCE-LEAVED    BUCKTHORN 

Rhdmnus  lanceol&ta. 

Tall,  erect,  growing  on  hills  and  on  river  banks.  Ranges 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Alabama,  west  to  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  south 

6a 


ALDER-LEAVED    BUCKTHORN 


Alder-leaved  Buckthorn,  Rbamnus  alnifolia. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long. 


BUCKTHORN    FAMILY 

to  Texas.     Stems  thornless,  with  smooth  grayish  bark  ;   branch- 
lets  hairy;  juices  bitter  and  astringent. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  three  and  a  half  inches 
long,  ovate-lanceolate,  acute  or  rounded  at  base,  finely  serrate, 
obtuse  or  acuminate  at  apex. 

Flowers. — May,  June,  just  after  the  leaves.  Polygamo-dice- 
cious,  small,  yellowish  green,  axillary,  two  or  three  together, 
fragrant. 

Calyx. — Tube  urn-shaped,  four-lobed ;  lobes  ovate,  acute, 
valvate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  narrow,  deeply  notched,  inserted  on 
the  calyx  disk. 

Stamens. — Four,  inserted  with  the  petals  and  opposite  them. 

Pistil. — Ovary  free  from  calyx,  two  to  four-celled,  styles 
three  to  four-cleft. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  globose,  black,  shining,  one-third 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  nauseous. 

This  shrub  bears  flowers  of  two  forms  on  distinct 
plants,  both  perfect  ;  one  with  short  pedicels,  clustered 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  and  with  a  short  included 
style ;  the  other  with  pedicels  oftener  solitary,  the 
style  longer  and  exserted. 

COMMON    BUCKTHORN 

Rhdmnus  cathdrtica. 

Tall,  upright,  six  to  twenty  feet  high,  bearing  leafy  thorns; 
cultivated  for  hedges  ;  naturalized  from  Europe  and  sparingly 
escaped  from  cultivation.  Stems  brownish  gray  with  a  silver 
light. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  often  seeming  to  be  opposite,  simple,  one 
to  two  and  a  half  inches  long,  broadly  ovate  or  elliptic,  rounded 
or  acute  at  base,  crenate  or  crenulate,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex ; 
almost  five-nerved,  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above, 

64 


COMMON    BUCKTHORN 


Common  Buckthorn,  Rbamnus  catbartica. 

Leaves  i'  to  2^' long. 


BUCKTHORN    FAMILY 

very  prominent  beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute, 
bright  green,  shining,  densely  covered  with  white  hairs  beneath  ; 
when  full  grown  are  smooth,  dark  green  above,  paler  and  some- 
what downy  below.  In  autumn  they  fall  with  little  or  no  change 
of  color. 

Flowers. — May,  with  the  leaves.  Dioecious,  yellowish  green, 
borne  on  short  pedicels,  in  dense  umbellate  clusters,  usually 
terminal  on  short  branchlets.  The  terminal  bud  that  produces 
the  flower  cluster  also  produces  a  growing  shoot  which  comes 
out  of  the  centre  of  the  cluster. 

Calyx. — Salver-shaped,  four-lobed  ;  lobes  as  long  as  the  tube, 
acute. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  minute,  reddish  brown,  inserted  on  the 
calyx-tube,  alternate  with  'As,  lobes. 

Stamens. — Four,  inserted  with  the  petals;  anthers  white. 
Pistil. — Ovary  free,  three  to  four-celled. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  black,  shining,  nauseous,  medicinal ; 
nutlets  two. 

The  Common  Buckthorn  is  sometimes  found  grow- 
ing- wild  in  New  England  and  the  Middle  States.  It  is 
a  tall  erect  shrub,  whose  lower  branches  are  short  and 
stiff,  nearly  horizontal  and  often  ending  in  such  sharp 
points  that  though  leafy  they  are  virtually  thorns. 

The  plant  flowers  in  May,  producing  abundant 
clusters  of  tiny  green  stars  which  are  followed  by 
shining  black  berries ;  these  berries  were  once  used 
medicinally  but  are  now  discarded  for  less  violent 
remedies. 

The  juices  of  all  the  buckthorns  are  capable  of  pro- 
ducing dyes.  The  pigment  known  as  Chinese  green 
is  obtained  by  treating  the  juice  of  the  ripe  berries  of 
Rhamnus  catJiartica  and  other  species  with  alum  and 
gum  arabic.  The  Avignon  berry,  which  seems  to  be 
a  name  given  to  the  fruit  of  several  species  of  buck- 

66 


ALDER    BUCKTHORN 


Alder  Buckthorn,  Rbamims  fraiigitla. 
Leaves  \W  to  3'  long. 


BUCKTHORN    FAMILY 

thorn,  is  used  to  give  the  yellow  color  to  leather.  Tur- 
key morocco  is  supposed  to  be  dyed  by  this  pigment. 

Rhammis  cathartica  is  an  excellent  hedge  plant.  It  is 
perfectly  hardy,  never  suckers ;  its  roots  extend  but 
little  way,  and  being  fibrous  do  not  interfere  with  other 
plants ;  is  free  from  insects'  attacks  ;  the  foliage  is  a 
rich  dark  green  and  held  late  in  autumn. 

The  Alder  Buckthorn,  Rhammis  frangula,  is  a  hand- 
some lawn  shrub,  introduced  from  Europe,  which  has 
sparingly  escaped  in  some  localities  of  the  Eastern 
States.  It  is  well  formed,  compact,  and  often  ten  feet 
high.  The  flowers  are  inconspicuous,  but  its  shining 
foliage  and  purple  black  berries  give  it  a  certain  dis- 
tinction. 

NEW  JERSEY  TEA.     RED-ROOT 

Ccanbthus  americanus. 

An  ancient  name  of  a  different  plant ;    of  no  significance  in 
its  present  use. 

A  shrub  of  upright  stems  one  to  three  feet  high,  found  in  dry 
open  woods.  Ranges  from  Ontario  to  Florida  and  from  Mani- 
toba to  Texas.  Branchlets  downy  ;  root  deep  red. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  two  to  three  inches  long,  ovate  or 
oblong-ovate,  rounded  or  slightly  heart-shaped  at  base,  serrate, 
acute  or  acuminate  at  apex  ;  three-nerved,  ribs  and  primary 
veins  deeply  depressed  above,  prominent  beneath.  They  come 
out  of  the  bud  involute,  clammy,  shining,  smooth  above,  densely 
covered  with  white  hairs  beneath.  Petiole  short,  downy.  Sti- 
pules minute,  awl-like. 

Flowers. — June,    July.     Small,    white,    in   little  umbel-like 

groups  which  form  dense  panicles  or  corymbs  at  the  summit  of 

naked  flower-branches  on  leafy  shoots  of  the  year  ;  calyx  and 
slender  pedicels  white. 

68 


NEW  JERSEY   TEA 


New  Jersey  Tea,  Ceanotbus  americanus. 

Leaves  r  to  }'  long. 


BUCKTHORN    FAMILY 

Calyx. — White  ;  tube  globular ;  border  five-lobed  ;  lobes  in- 
curved. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  hooded,  on  slender  claws,  inserted 
under  the  disk. 

Stamens. — Five  ;  filaments  thread-like. 

Pistil. — Ovary  immersed  in  the  disk,  and  joined  to  it  at  base, 
three-lobed  ;  style  short,  three-cleft. 

Fruit. — Nearly  black,  three-lobed,  dry,  splitting  into  three 
carpels  when  ripe. 

The  leaves  of  this  plant,  according  to  tradition,  were 
used  as  a  substitute  for  tea  during  the  tea-less  days  of 
the  Revolutionary  War.  There  is  no  tradition,  how- 
ever, that  anybody  drank  the  decoction  after  it  ceased 
to  be  unpatriotic  to  drink  tea.  The  red  bark  of  the 
roots  has  astringent  qualities  and  has  been  used  me- 
dicinally ;  with  a  proper  mordant  it  will  dye  wool  a 
cinnamon  color. 

As  a  flowering  bush  the  Red-root  may  very  properly 
claim  a  place  on  our  lawns.  In  the  blooming  season 
every  stem  is  tipped  with  clusters  of  delicate  white 
flowers,  which,  massed  as  they  are,  produce  a  most 
charming  effect. 

Smaller  Red-root,  Ceanothus  ovattis,  is  a  western  spe- 
cies with  narrow,  oval  leaves,  and  denser  panicles  of 
flowers.  Found  on  the  prairies  and  in  dry,  rocky 
places.  Fruit  like  that  of  CeanotJius  americanus. 


HIPPOCASTANACE.E— HORSE-CHESTNUT 
FAMILY 

DWARF   BUCKEYE.     DWARF   HORSE-CHESTNUT 

jEsculus  parviflbra.     sEsculus  macrostdchya. 
sEsctilus,  derived  from  esca,  nourishment. 

The  Dwarf  Buckeye  is  an  effective  shrub  in  mid- 
summer, blossoming  profusely  in  July  and  August^ 
after  the  majority  of  wood}7  plants  have  passed  into 
the  fruiting  stage.  Its  natural  habit  is  to  spread 
broadly ;  the  stems  are  numerous,  the  outermost  and 
lowest  often  becoming  horizontal  and  resting  upon  the 
ground,  so  that  a  well-grown  plant  assumes  a  dome- 
like form.  The  branches  which  rest  upon  the  ground 
readily  form  roots,  and  thus  new  plants  are  established 
which  blend  with  the  old  ones  until  the  plant  is  en- 
larged about  its  entire  circumference. 

Crowning  the  upright  stems  and  borne  above  the 
dome  of  foliage  appear  the  erect  panicles  of  flowers. 
The  flowering  axis  is  eight  to  sixteen  inches  long, 
thickly  studded  with  buds  arranged  in  little  groups 
of  which  the  lowest  group  is  the  first  to  expand,  the 
others  following  in  due  order.  This  arrangement 
greatly  lengthens  the  flowering  period. 


HORSE-CHESTNUT    FAMILY 

The  flower  has  a  tubular  calyx,  four  or  five  white 
petals,  and  long  thread-like  stamens  with  white  fila- 
ments, which  give  the  whole  a  singularly  light  and 
feathery  aspect.  The  flowers  are  slightly  fragrant 
and  attractive  to  many  kinds  of  insects.  There  is  no 
great  production  of  nuts  ;  each  spike  produces  one  or 
two  fruiting  balls  which  are  smooth  outside,  not  prickly, 
and  each  generally  contains  a  single  seed.  The  leaves 
borne  on  long  and  rather  slender  petioles  are  of  the 
typical  horse-chestnut  form  ;  the  five  to  seven  leaflets 
are  oblong-ovate,  finely  serrate,  glabrous  above  and 
pubescent  beneath.  In  autumn  they  become  dull  yel- 
low before  they  fall. 

The  plant  is  a  native  of  the  southern  states,  but  is 
perfectly  hardy  throughout  the  north,  and  is  espe- 
cially valuable  for  lawn  clumps. 


DWARF    BUCKEYE 


Dwarf  Buckeye,  /Escnlus  paroiflora. 
Flower  spikes  y  to  i</  long. 


STAPHYLEACE/E— BLADDER-NUT 
FAMILY 

AMERICAN   BLADDER-NUT 

Staphylea  trifblia. 
Staphylea,  cluster,  referring  to  the  flowers. 

Tall,  handsome,  quick  growing,  eight  to  fifteen  feet  high,  with 
spreading  branches;  found  on  the  borders  of  damp  woods. 
Ranges  from  Quebec  to  Minnesota,  south  to  South  Carolina,  and 
Missouri.  Suckers  freely  ;  wood  yellowish  and  close-grained. 

Bark. — Light,  greenish  gray  with  linear  white  cracks. 
Branchlets  at  first  pale  green  with  white  lenticels,  downy;  later 
brownish  purple  ;  finally  ashen  gray. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  pinnately  compound,  borne  on  long  peti- 
oles. Leaflets  three,  terminal  leaflet  long-petioled ;  the  others 
short-petioled,  ovate  or  oval,  two  and  one-half  to  four  inches 
long,  wedge-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  finely  serrate,  acuminate 
at  apex  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above,  prominent 
beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  bright  green, 
shining,  covered  with  white  hairs  beneath;  when  full  grown 
are  pale  green,  smooth  above,  slightly  downy  below.  In  autumn 
they  turn  a  pale  dull  yellow.  Stipules  and  stipels  fugacious. 
Petioles  angular  and  grooved. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  abundant,  bell-shaped,  white, 
borne  in  terminal  or  axillary  drooping  compound  racemes,  with 
small  bracts  at  the  base  of  the  partial  footstalks.  Pedicels  jointed. 

Calyx. — Five-lobed ;  lobes  oblong,  acute,  imbricate  in  bud, 
persistent.  The  calyx,  often  tinged  with  rose-color,  folds  around 
the  petals  so  as  to  form  an  imperfect  tube. 

74 


AMERICAN    BLADDER-NUT 


American  Bladder-nut,  Stapbylea  trifolia. 

Leaves  3.%.'  to  4'  long.     Racemes  j'  to  4'  long. 


BLADDER-NUT    FAMILY 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  spatulate,  inserted  on  the  margin 
of  a  disk  at  the  base  of  the  calyx,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Five,  alternate  with  the  petals,  filaments  thread- 
like ;  anthers  introrse,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  of  three  carpels  united  in  the  axis,  superior  ; 
styles  three,  slightly  cohering ;  ovules  many. 

Fruit. — An  angular,  pale  green  capsule,  one  and  a  half  inches 
long  and  three  inches  in  circumference  ;  made  up  of  three  mem- 
branous pods  grown  together,  each  ending  in  a  sharp  point. 
Seeds  two  to  five,  brown,  ovoid,  flattened.  September. 

The  extraordinarily  inflated  seed  pods  are  the  dis- 
tinguishing characteristic  of  the  Bladder-nut,  and  it 
requires  very  little  imagination  to  make  them  look  like 
tiny  balloons.  Many  of  the  ovules  abort,  but  there 
are  usually  one  or  two  that  mature  in  each  cell  of  the 
capsule.  The  seeds  when  ripe  break  loose  from  their 
attachments  and  rattle  about  when  the  pod  is  shaken. 
They  are  brown,  shining,  and  bony  ;  those  of  a  Euro- 
pean species  are  often  strung  as  rosary  beads. 

While  the  individual  blossom  is  not  very  attractive, 
the  full-flowered  drooping  racemes  which  cover  the 
bush  in  the  spring  give  a  very  pretty  effect.  The 
plant  improves  greatly  under  cultivation  ;  flowers 
more  abundantly,  grows  more  luxuriantly  and  in  more 
symmetrical  form  than  its  wild  relatives. 

A  late  blooming  species  from  Caucasus,  StapJiylca 
colchica,  has  lately  been  introduced.  It  is  a  handsome 
bush  with  trifoliate  leaves  and  many  white  flowers 
which  exhale  a  fragrance  suggestive  of  orange-blos- 
soms. 


76 


AMERICAN    BLADDER-NUT 


Fruiting  Capsules  of  American  Bladder-nut. 


ANACARDIACE^:— SUMACH   FAMILY 

SMOOTH    SUMACH.     SCARLET   SUMACH 

Rhiis  glabra. 

Rhus  is  by  some  referred  to  a  Celtic  word  meaning  red  ; 
others  derive  it  from  the  Greek  word  meaning  run,  be- 
cause the  roots  spread  underground  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  trunk  ;  still  others  refer  it  to  a  Greek  word 
which  indicates  its  value  medicinally.  Sumach  is  derived 
from  Simaq,  the  Arabic  name  of  the  plant. 

Low  growing,  spreading,  with  irregular  branches  and  rather 
unshapely  form  ;  rarely  becoming  a  small  tree  ;  the  twigs  and 
branchlets  glabrous  and  more  or  less  glaucous.  Found  in  dry 
soil  from  Nova  Scotia  to  British  Columbia  and  south  to  Florida, 
Mississippi,  and  Arizona.  Foliage  sometimes  used  for  tanning. 

Leaves.  —  Alternate,  pinnately  compound,  eight  to  fifteen 
inches  long ;  leaflets  eleven  to  thirty-one,  sessile,  lanceolate  or 
oblong-lanceolate,  three  to  five  inches  long,  on  a  large  smooth 
stalk,  round  and  often  oblique  at  base,  serrate,  acuminate  at 
apex,  rachis  not  winged ;  when  full  grown  are  dark  green 
above,  whitish  beneath  ;  in  autumn  they  turn  a  brilliant  scarlet 
and  orange. 

Flowers.  —  June  to  August.  Polygamo  -  dioecious,  small, 
green,  borne  in  densely  flowered  terminal  spikes.  Calyx  five- 
cleft,  persistent ;  corolia,  of  five  petals,  imbricate  in  the  bud  ; 
stamens  five,  inserted  on  a  disk  ;  ovary  one,  and  styles  three. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  small,  one-seeded,  sub-globose,  red,  covered 
with  short,  crimson,  acid  hairs  ;  borne  in  dense  terminal  spikes. 

78 


SMOOTH   SUMACH 


Smooth  Sumach,  Rbits  glabra. 

Leaflets  }'  to  5'  long. 


SUMACH    FAMILY 

It  often  happens  that  the  Smooth  Sumach  and  the 
Staghorn  Sumach,  Rhus  liirta,  make  thickets  together 
Both  love  sandy  soil,  the  gravelly  upland,  the  neg- 
lected  corners  of  fields  ;  and  by  means  of  their  deep- 
ly extended  roots  are  able  to  take  possession  of  and 
to  hold  large  tracts  to  the  exclusion  of  other  plants. 
These  sumachs  cannot  be  distinguished  by  the  differ- 
ence in  size  alone,  for  the  young  Staghorn  before  it 
completes  its  growth  is  often  just  the  height  of  its 
smaller  brother.  But  the  twigs  and  petioles  of  RJius 
Jiirta  are  always  clothed  in  velvet,  while  similar  twigs 
and  petioles  of  RJius  glabra  are  without  hairs  and  fre 
quently  covered  with  a  pale  bloom.  In  autumn  the 
stems  are  crowned  by  pyramidal  heads  made  up  of 
velvety  red  berries ;  these  remain  on  the  bush  but 
slightly  changed  in  color  throughout  the  winter. 
The  autumnal  coloring  of  the  leaves  is  a  most  brill- 
iant scarlet  and  crimson,  brightened  with  yellow  and 
orange. 

A  variety,  Rhus  glabra  laciniata,  the  Fern-leaved  Su- 
mach, is  believed  to  be  a  sport  of  Rhus  glabra.  It  is  a 
very  satisfactory  shrub  for  lawn  or  garden  planting. 
The  foliage  is  finely  cut  and  in  autumn  as  its  feathery 
leaves  take  on  the  crimson  hues  of  its  type  the  effect 
is  excellent. 

DWARF   SUMACH.     MOUNTAIN   SUMACH 
Rhiis  copalltna. 

The  Mountain  Sumach  is  a  tree  ;  but  most  gardeners 
think  it  a  shrub,  misled  no  doubt  by  its  name  of  Dwarf. 
It  is  usually  planted  in  lawns  and  gardens  upon  the 

80 


MOUNTAIN    SUMACH 


Mountain  Sumach,  Rbus  copallina. 

Leaflets  )'  to  5'  long. 


SUMACH    FAMILY 

supposition  that  it  is  a  shrub.  Whatever  form  it  may 
have  upon  mountain  tops, — when  transferred  to  the 
lowlands,  given  a  rich  soil  and  opportunity  to  grow,  it 
proceeds  forthwith  to  become  a  tree,  and  is  reduced  to 
a  shrub  by  main  force  alone. 

This  beautiful  creature,  clothed  in  the  summer  with 
foliage  of  dark  glossy  green,  bearing  its  great  clusters 
of  red  fruit  throughout  the  winter,  showing  in  autumn 
the  most  superb  combination  of  the  hues  of  crimson 
and  scarlet,  pays  the  price  of  its  beauty  and  is  cut  and 
mutilated  out  of  all  semblance  of  nature  in  order  to 
make  it  a  shrub. 

Long  ago  Horace  told  us,  "  Though  you  drive  out 
nature  with  a  fork,  yet  will  she  always  return."  And 
the  Dwarf  Sumach  is  and  will  continue  to  be  a  tree, 
notwithstanding  the  knife  and  the  pruning  shears. 

The  blooming  period  is  late,  sometimes  in  early  Au- 
gust. The  panicle  of  sterile  flowers  is  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  long,  while  that  of  the  fertile  ones  is  three  to  six. 
A  persistent  character  is  the  winged  petiole  by  which 
it  is  readily  distinguished  from  other  sumachs. 

POISON   SUMACH 
Rhus  vtrnix.     Rhus  venen&ta, 

The  Poison  Sumach  is  in  its  best  estate  a  tree,  but  it 
occurs  so  frequently  as  a  shrub,  and  is  really  such  a 
menace  where  it  grows,  that  the  form  of  its  leaves  and 
the  general  appearance  of  the  plant  can  not  be  made 
too  evident  to  the  community  at  large.  It  is  often  con- 
tused in  the  popular  mind  with  the  other  sumachs  of 
many-foliate  leaves,  Rhus  /nrta,  Rhus  glabra,  and  Rhus 

82 


POISON   SUMACH 


Poison  Sumach,  Rbiis  Ttrnix. 

Leaflets  2'  to  4'  long. 


SUMACH   FAMILY 

copallina,  and  consequently  all  sumachs  are  feared.  It 
can,  however,  be  very  easily  distinguished  from  them. 

The  leaflets  of  the  great  compound  leaves  of  Rhus 
hirta  and  Rhus  glabra  have  serrate  margins;  those  of 
the  Poison  Sumach  are  entire.  The  leaves  of  Rhus 
copallina  might  perhaps  be  mistaken  for  those  of  the 
Poison  Sumach  were  it  not  for  the  winged  petiole 
which  is  a  never  failing  character  of  the  Mountain 
Sumach. 

The  leaflets  of  Rhus  vernix  are  five  to  thirteen, 
nearly  sessile,  varying  from  ovate  to  obovate  or  oval, 
entire,  acute  at  apex,  a  beautiful  shining  green  and  the 
autumnal  tints  exceedingly  brilliant.  The  petiole  is 
often  purple  and  the  veins  are  frequently  purplish. 

The  fruit  is  grayish  white,  about  the  size  of  a  pea, 
destitute  of  hairs,  and  borne  in  loose  axillary  panicles 
three  to  eight  inches  long. 

This  is  the  most  poisonous  woody  plant  of  our  flora. 
Its  juices  and  the  effluvium  exhaled  by  it  under  a  hot  sun, 
are  extremely  poisonous  to  some  persons.  There  are 
those  who  are  absolutely  immune,  others  so  sensitive 
that  they  can  not  pass  the  bush  with  impunity.  It  is 
very  dangerous  to  experiment  with  it  recklessly.  The 
poison  shows  itself  in  painful  and  long  continued  swell- 
ings upon  the  surface  of  the  body,  usually  the  face  and 
hands. 

POISON    IVY.     CLIMATH 

• 

Rhus  radicdns.     Rhus  toxicodendron. 

This  is  a  woody  vine  climbing  by  numerous  aerial 
rootlets,  the  stem  sometimes  two  or  three  inches  in 
diameter.  It  climbs  trees  and  fence  posts  and  ranges 

84 


POISON   IVY 


Poison  Ivy,  Rbits  radicans. 

Leaflets  i'  to  4'  long. 


SUMACH   FAMILY 

from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida  and  westward  to  Minne- 
sota, Nebraska,  and  Arkansas.  The  compound  leaves 
have  three  leaflets,  so  that  they  are  very  easily  distin- 
guished from  those  of  the  Virginia  Creeper,  Partheno- 
cissus  quinqnefolia,  which  has  five  palmate  leaflets;  and 
from  the  Bitter  Sweet,  which  has  seven  to  nine  pinnate 
leaflets.  These  Poison  Ivy  leaflets  are  ovate  or  rhom- 
bic, entire  or  sparingly  sinuate,  the  apex  acute  or  acu- 
minate ;  the  lateral  ones  almost  sessile ;  the  terminal 
stalked.  The  flowers  are  green  and  borne  in  loose 
axillary  panicles ;  the  fruit  is  like  that  of  R/tns  vernix. 
The  plant  is  poisonous  to  the  touch,  and  should  be 
avoided.  All  the  poisonous  species  of  R/nis  ought  to 
be  extirpated  root  and  branch,  but  instead  of  that  they 
are  increasing.  This  is  largely  due  to  the  immunity 
they  enjoy  because  people  are  afraid  to  touch  them ; 
but  in  winter  probably  they  could  be  easily  and  safely 
destroyed  ;  destroyed  they  certainly  should  be. 

POISON   IVY.    NORTHERN   POISON   OAK 

Rhtis  microcdrpa.     Rhus  toxtcodtndron. 

The  two  plants  now  known  as  Rlius  radicans  and 
Rhus  microcarpa  were  formerly  considered  as  a  single 
species  and  described  under  the  name  RJius  toxicoden- 
dron,  which  name  is  now  given  to  a  third  species  of 
southern  habitat.  The  plant  popularly  known  as  Poison 
Ivy  is  the  running  vine  so  abundant  in  fields  and  by  the 
roadsides  throughout  the  north.  The  stem  often  trails 
upon  the  ground  and  sends  up  erect  branchlets  six  or 
eight  inches  high  which  make  a  tiny  thicket ;  some- 
times the  entire  plant  is  erect  but  low.  The  leaves  are 

86 


POISON   IVY 


Poison  Ivy,  Kbits  microcarpa. 

Leaflets   i%'  to  )'  long. 


SUMACH    FAMILY 

compound,  of  three  leaflets.  These  leaflets  are  pale 
green,  ovate  or  ovate-rhombic,  acute  or  acuminate, 
sharply  toothed,  lobed,  or  entire.  The  fruit  is  similar 
to  that  of  Rhus  radicans.  The  leaves,  like  those  of 
Rhus  vernix  and  Rhns  radicans,  are  poisonous  to  the 
touch  and  should  be  avoided. 


FRAGRANT   SUMACH.     SWEET-SCENTED    SUMACH 

Rhus  aroma tica.     Rhus  canadensis. 

Diffuse  or  ascending,  two  to  six  feet  high  ;  found  in  dry  rocky 
woods  from  Vermont  to  Florida,  west  to  Minnesota,  Arkansas, 
and  Louisiana.  Leaves  fragrant  when  crushed. 

Leaves, — Alternate,  pinnately  compound,  three-foliate,  two  to 
four  inches  long,  aromatic.  Leaflets  ovate  or  rhomboid,  one  to 
two  inches  long;  lateral  leaflets  sessile;  terminal  leaflet  short- 
stalked,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  coarsely  crenate  or  crenate-dentate, 
acute  at  apex,  very  downy  when  young.  In  autumn  they  turn  a 
brilliant  orange  and  scarlet.  Petioles  one-half  to  an  inch  long, 
glabrous  or  pubescent. 

Flowers. — March,  April.  Polygamo-dicecious,  yellowish  green, 
small,  in  clustered  spikes,  appearing  before  the  leaves.  The 
catkin-like  spikes  are  developed  on  the  branches  in  late  autumn. 

Fruit.  —  Drupe,  red,  globose,  downy,  borne  in  short  clustered 
spikes;  produced  sparingly. 

The  Fragrant  Sumach  is  often  found  on  sandy  banks 
and  knolls,  frequently  occurring  in  dense  patches.  It 
rarely  rises  more  than  four  feet,  and  this  habit  makes 
it  most  valuable  to  the  gardener  when  he  wishes  a  plant 
to  bring  up  the  line  of  green  from  the  grass  to  the  taller 
shrubs;  it  does  not  grow  away  from  him,  but  does  just 
what  he  expects  it  to  do.  The  lower  branches  of  a  vig- 
orous plant  will  lie  upon  the  ground. 


FRAGRANT   SUMACH 


Fragrant  Sumach,  Rbus  aromatica. 

Leaflets  i'  to  a'  long. 


SUMACH   FAMILY 

In  the  spring  the  branches  are  loaded  with  early  yel- 
low flowers;  in  summer  the  dark  green  foliage  is  clean 
and  bright;  in  autumn  it  clothes  itself  in  the  red  and 
yellow  of  its  race ;  and  in  winter  it  becomes  a  little 
gray  bush  speckled  with  small  spikes  of  downy  flower 
buds  that  look  like  catkins. 

Rhus  trilobata,  the  Ill-scented  Sumach  or  Skunk 
Bush  is  about  the  same  size  as  the  Fragrant  Sumach. 
The  leaves  are  tri-foliate,  leaflets  sessile  or  nearly  so, 
puberulent  when  young,  ovate  or  oval,  obtuse,  the  ter- 
minal one  wedge-shaped  at  base,  all  crenately  few- 
lobed  or  toothed  or  sometimes  entire  ;  unpleasantly 
odorous.  The  flowers  and  fruit  are  very  similar  to 
those  of  Rhus  aromatica.  It  is  a  western  species  rang- 
ing from  Illinois  westward. 

SMOKE-TREE 

Cotinus  cdlinus. 

Cotinus  is  an  ancient  name  of  obscure  meaning,  without 
significance  in  its  present  use. 

The  Smoke-tree  of  our  gardens  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting of  cultivated  plants,  and  is  also  one  that  has 
been  valued  from  very  ancient  times.  Pliny  describes 
it  as  an  Apennine  shrub  and  Gerard  records  it  as 
growing  in  England  in  1597= 

With  us  it  vibrates  between  tree  and  shrub;  some- 
times reaching  the  height  of  twenty  feet,  again  attain- 
ing only  five  or  six.  The  billowy  masses  of  its  fruiting 
panicles  attract  attention  and  the  plant  is  well  known  ; 
in  fact  it  would  be  difficult  for  it  to  remain  unknown. 

The   bloom    is   polygamo-dicecious ;    the    staminate 

00 


ILL-SCENTED   SUMACH 


Ill-scented  Sumach,  Rbus  trilobata. 
Leaflets  %,'  to  i'  long. 


SUMACH  FAMILY 

and  pistillate  flowers  are  produced  upon  different  indi- 
viduals and  appear  in  May.  These  flowers  are  small, 
yellowish  green,  and  borne  in  ample,  loose,  terminal 
panicles  branching  from  the  axils  of  linear  leaf-like 
bracts.  The  petals  are  small ;  the  stamens  are  five ; 
the  styles  are  three. 

After  the  blooming  season  is  past  the  bush  begins  to 
show  that  personal  and  peculiar  character  which  has 
made  it  a  garden  favorite  for  two  thousand  years.  A 
wonderful  change  comes  over  the  little  pedicels  or 
stalks  of  the  fertile  flowers.  They  were  at  first  half  or 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  long  and  now  they  begin  to 
lengthen  and  at  the  same  time  to  develop  a  thick 
growth  of  soft  hairs.  This  is  especially  the  case  with 
the  pedicels  which  bear  no  fruit.  The  result  is  that 
each  fruiting  panicle  becomes  a  loose,  fluffy  aggrega- 
tion of  plumose  threads,  and  takes  on  a  charming  range 
of  color, — pale  green,  dull  yellow,  lurid  red, — and  so 
covers  the  head  and  so  overpowers  the  foliage  that  the 
bush  becomes  a  billowy  mass, — each  single  spray  not 
improperly  likened  to  a  puff  of  smoke.  This  "smoke" 
is  in  its  best  condition  during  June  and  July. 

The  plant  fruits  but  sparingly;  at  the  end  of  some 
of  the  feathery  pedicels,  by  searching,  a  little,  greenish 
brown,  one-sided  drupe  may  be  discovered  almost  lost 
among  the  clustering  threads. 

There  is  an  American  Smoke-tree,  Cotinns  cotinoides, 
of  southwestern  habitat ;  reaching  its  best  development 
in  Missouri  and  Indian  Territory.  As  an  ornamental 
plant  it  is  not  the  equal  of  our  cultivated  species. 


SMOKE-TREE 


Stammate  Flowers  of  Smoke-tree,  Cotiiius  cotinus. 


PAPILIONACE^E— PEA   FAMILY 


Flower  of  Sweet 
Pea. 


The  pea  blossom  may,  with  the  aid  of  a  little  imagi- 
nation, be  said  to  resemble  a  butterfly  ;  it  certainly  is 
unique  in  form  and  so  distinctive  in  char- 
acter that  any  plant  bearing  such  a  blos- 
som can  at  once  be  assigned  to  its  proper 
place;  hence  the  Latin  name  of  the  Pea 
family, — Papilionacea,  the  butterflies. 

The  petals  of  this 
unique  blossom  differ 
so  greatly  in  form  and  size  that  they 
have  received  distinguishing  names. 
The  uppermost  of  the  five  is  very 
much  larger  than  the  others  and  is 
called  the  standard  or  banner.  In 
the  bud  it  is  distinctly 
the  protector  of  the 
stamens  and  pistil  others  ;  it  surrounds  and  embraces  them  ; 
the  calyx  being  unable  to  do  this  because 
of  its  small  size.  The  two  lateral  petals 
are  called  wings  ;  and  the  two  lowest, 
which  are  more  or  less  united,  make  up  YoungpodofSweet 
the  keel.  The  keel  encloses  the  stamens  Pea- 

and  the  tiny  pod.     Stamens  usually  are  ten,  with  fila- 
ments united  so  as  to  form  one  or  two  groups  ;  some- 

94 


Banner,    Wings    and    Keel 
Petals  of  the  Sweet  Pea. 


FALSE    INDIGO 

times  nine  are  together  and  one  is  apart ;  rarely,  all 
are  separate.  The  fruit  is  a  pod  called  a  legume,  of 
which  the  pea  pod  is  a  typical  example. 

The  PapilionacccB  are  in  many  respects  a  wonderful 
group  of  plants.  One  of  their  greatest  and  most  re- 
markable qualities  has  but  recently  been  understood. 
For  ages  leguminous  seeds  have  been  valued  for  their 
nourishing  quality,  differing  from  grain  in  the  fact 
that  they  contain  a  large  percentage  of  nitrogen  as 
contrasted  with  the  predominating  carbon  compounds 
of  the  cereals.  The  question  whence  came  this  great 
quantity  of  nitrogen  long  remained  a  horticultural 
problem,  but  recently  nature's  riddle  has  been  solved. 
It  is  now  known  that  the  roots  of  leguminous  plants 
are  the  hosts  of  myriads  of  organisms  called  bacte- 
roids,  some  of  which  possess  the  power  of  fixing  the 
free  nitrogen  of  the  air,  and  through  them  it  is  ac- 
quired by  the  plant. 

FALSE    INDIGO 

Amdrpha  fruticbsa. 

Amorpha,  deformed  ;  so  named  because  four  petals  are 
wanting. 

Tall,  five  to  twenty  feet  high  ;  prefers  the  borders  of  streams; 
native  to  the  Mississippi  valley;  frequently  cultivated. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  compound,  odd-pinnate,  six  to  sixteen 
inches  long ;  leaflets  eleven  to  twenty-one,  short-stalked,  one  to 
two  inches  long,  oval  or  elliptic,  rounded  or  narrowed  at  base, 
entire,  obtuse,  slightly  mucronate  or  emarginate  at  apex,  spar- 
ingly punctate  with  pellucid  dots.  They  come  out  of  the  bud 
pale  green,  clammy  and  hairy,  when  full  grown  are  a  bright  yel- 
low, green  above,  paler  beneath.  In  autumn  they  become  pale 
yellow. 

95 


PEA   FAMILY 

Flowers. — May  to  July.  Perfect,  violet-purple,  borne  in 
dense,  terminal,  spicate  racemes  which  are  three  to  six  inches 
long. 

Calyx. — Bell-shaped,  five-toothed  ;  teeth  somewhat  irregular, 
green,  touched  with  purple. 

Corolla. — Deformed  papilionaceous ;  consisting  of  one  petal 
only,  the  standard,  which  is  violet-purple,  erect,  clawed,  emar- 
ginate,  wrapped  around  the  stamens  and  the  style ;  wings  and 
keel  wanting. 

Stamens. — Nine  or  ten,  monadelphous,  exserted  ;  filaments 
violet-purple  ;  anthers  orange. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one,  superior,  sessile,  two-celled  ;  style  curved, 
violet-purple. 

Fruit. — Pod,  glandular,  short,  curved,  never  opening,  usually 
two-seeded. 

The  flower  of  the  False  Indigo  is  an  interesting-  ex- 
ample of  arrested  development.  The  corolla  starts 
out  to  be  papilionaceous, — a  butterfly  blossom — but 
something  happens  and  when  the  bud  opens  all  that 
can  be  seen  of  the  blossom  is  the  broad  banner, 
closely  wrapped  about  the  stamens  and  pistil,  trying  to 
do  the  whole  duty  of  a  corolla  by  protecting  the  cen- 
tral parts  of  the  flower.  The  banner,  filaments,  and 
style  are  a  deep  rich  purple ;  the  protruding  anthers  a 
brilliant  orange ;  and  the  result  is  that  the  terminal 
spike  covered  with  these  flowers  glows  luridly  in  the 
sunlight.  The  flowering  impulse  begins  at  the  base 
and  moves  spirally  around  the  central  axis  to  the  apex, 
thus  prolonging  the  blooming  period  for  a  considera- 
ble time.  The  bush  is  ornamentally  effective.  After 
the  blooming  period  is  past  it  looks  not  unlike  a  locust 
seedling. 


FALSE    INDIGO 


False  Indigo,  Amorpba.  fntciicosa. 

Leaflets  i'  to  a7  long.     Flower  spikes  }'  u  h'  l 


PEA  FAMILY 

LEAD  PLANT.  DOWNY  AMORPHA 

Amdrpha  canescens. 

A  spreading  bush  one  to  four  feet  high  ;  leaves  and  shoots 
and  flower  spikes  densely  covered  with  soft,  white  hairs.  Is  a 
plant  of  the  prairies ;  ranges  from  Indiana  to  Minnesota  and 
Manitoba,  southward  to  Louisiana  and  Texas. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  odd-pinnate,  almost  sessile,  abundant, 
crowded,  two  to  four  inches  long  ;  leaflets  fifteen  to  forty-nine, 
small,  crowded,  almost  sessile,  oval  or  lanceolate,  rounded  at 
base,  entire,  obtuse  or  acute,  and  mucronate  at  apex. 

Flowers. — July,  August.  Perfect,  bright  blue,  borne  in 
densely  clustered,  terminal  spikes,  two  to  seven  inches  long. 
Flower  is  conspicuous  because  of  the  bright  blue  of  the  corolla 
and  the  brilliant  orange  of  the  anthers. 

Calyx. — Bell-shaped,  hairy,  five-toothed  ;  teeth  lanceolate. 

Corolla. — Deformed,  papilionaceous,  consisting  only  of  the 
standard  which  is  bright  blue,  nearly  orbicular  or  obcordate, 
and  wrapped  about  the  stamens  and  style.  Wings  and  keel 
wanting. 

Stamens. — Ten,  monadelphous  at  the  very  base,  otherwise 
distinct. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  sessile,  two-celled  ;  style  curved. 
Fruit. — Pod,  small,  oblong,  partly  enclosed  in  the  persistent 
calyx,  hairy,  one-seeded. 

Everything-  about  this  shrub  seems  crowded.  The 
small  leaflets  fairly  push  each  other  to  find  standing- 
room  ;  the  flowers  crush  each  other  upon  the  central 
axis  of  the  spike ;  and  the  spikes  themselves  are 
crowded  upon  the  end  of  the  branches. 

Curiously  enough  there  has  developed  concerning- 
this  plant  of  the  western  prairies  a  modern  reappear- 
ance of  the  ancient  doctrine  of  signatures.  In  many 
places  it  is  very  generally  believed  that  the  presence 


LEAD   PLANT 


Lead  Plant,  Amorpba  canesceiis. 

Leaves  if  to  4'  long.     Leaflets  %'  to  Ji'  long.     Flower  spikes  2'  to  7'  long. 


PEA   FAMILY 

of  this  gray-hued  bush  marks  the  existence  of  lead  ore 
in  the  soil ;  and  for  no  other  reason  than  that  the 
plant  being  densely  covered  with  silvery  hairs  has  a 
certain  leaden  color.  It  is  well  known  to  the  medical 
profession  that  many  plants  formerly  in  high  repute 
for  their  medicinal  properties  are  absolutely  worth- 
less; and  that  the  only  reason  for  this  reputation  was 
the  resemblance  more  or  less  marked  between  some 
part  of  the  plant  and  some  part  of  the  human  body. 
In  like  manner  the  prophetic  value  of  the  Lead  Plant 
is  based  upon  nothing  more  substantial  than  the  gray 
color  of  its  leaves. 

The  Downy  Amorpha  is  a  very  attractive  bush;  the 
fine  compound  leaves  clothed  in  silken  gray  contrast 
well  with  the  deep  purple  spikes  of  flowers  bright- 
ened by  their  golden  stamens.  The  gardeners  report 
it  as  hardy,  and  also  as  valuable  for  color  combina- 
tions. Its  blooming  season  continues  several  weeks. 

Another  plant  of  the  genus,  Amorp/ia  naiia,  is  also 
found  on  the  western  prairies.  This  is  a  low  bushy 
shrub,  not  more  than  three  feet  high,  with  compound 
leaves  of  thirteen  to  nineteen  tiny,  bright  green  leaf- 
lets and  a  terminal  solitary  spike  of  brilliant  fragrant 
flowers,  each  with  its  purple  banner  and  its  golden 
stamens. 

WOAD   WAXEN.     DYER'S   GREENWEED 

Genista  tinctdria. 
Genista  is  Celtic  for  small  shrub  ;  the  root  \s  gen,  a  bush. 

A  low  branching  shrub,  one  to  two  feet  high,  with  creeping 
root-stalks  and  upright  branches.  A  native  of  Europe,  it  has 


WOAD  WAXEN 


Woad  Waxen,  Gtnista  tinctoiia. 

Leaves  %'  to  i%'  long.     Flowers  W  to  yj  long. 


PEA   FAMILY 

escaped  from  the  gardens  and  is  found  on  dry  hills  from  Maine 
to  New  York,  where  it  becomes  a  troublesome  weed. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  one-foliate,  sessile,  elliptical  or  lanceolate, 
one  half  to  one  and  one-half  inches  long,  narrowed  at  base,  en- 
tire, acute  at  apex,  bright  shining  green ;  midvein  depressed 
above,  primary  veins  obscure. 

Flowers. — Summer.  Papilionaceous,  one-half  to  five-eighths 
of  an  inch  long,  borne  in  many  short,  few-flowered,  terminal 
racemes.  Calyx,  two-lipped.  Corolla  clear  bright  yellow,  with- 
out markings. 

Fruit. — Pod,  an  inch  long,  flat,  glabrous. 

In  Garden  and  Forest  of  August,  1888,  is  given  the 
following  account  of  Genista  tinctoria.  "  In  some  parts 
of  Essex  County,  Massachusetts,  it  has  become  thor- 
oughly naturalized,  and  has  taken  possession  of  thou- 
sands of  acres  of  rocky  upland,  from  which  it  is  prac- 
tically impossible  to  exterminate  it,  and  which  is  thus 
ruined  for  pasturage  or  for  tillage.  These  hills  where 
the  Woad  Waxen  is  in  flower,  seem  to  be  covered  with 
a  golden  carpet  and  present  an  appearance  quite  un- 
like anything  which  can  be  seen  in  any  other  part 
of  the  United  States.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the 
Woad  Waxen  was  introduced  into  the  United  States 
by  Governor  John  Endicott  of  Salem,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  American  horticulture." 

The  leaf  of  this  plant  is  a  sort  of  botanical  puzzle  ; 
it  is  called  a  compound  leaf  of  a  single  leaflet,  which 
seems  a  contradiction  in  terms.  But  if  you  look  at 
the  petiole  under  a  glass,  it  is  very  clear  that  there  is 
a  joint,  and  this  indicates  that  the  leaf  is  indeed  com- 
pound, but  that  all  the  leaflets  have  aborted  save  one. 

In  England  the  Woad  Waxen  used  to  be  collected 
by  the  poor  country  people  and  sold  to  the  dyers. 


ROSE  ACACIA 

During  the  gathering  period  women  could  earn  about 
two  shillings  a  day.  After  a  time  the  industry  lan- 
guished, for  the  roots  were  valuable  as  well  as  the 
stem,  and  eventually  the  plant  was  so  nearly  extermi- 
nated that  it  was  no  longer  profitable  to  market  it. 
One  hears  across  the  pages  of  the  record  a  familiar 
echo,  for  it  seems  that  under  the  specious  purpose  of 
keeping  the  plants  fresh  so  much  water  was  added  to 
the  load  that  the  dealers  felt  themselves  defrauded. 

ROSE   ACACIA.     MOSS   LOCUST 
Roblnia  hispida. 

Robinia  commemorates  the  botanical  labors  of  Jean  Robin, 
herbalist  to  Henry  III.,  and  director  of  the  gardens  of  the 
Louvre. 

The  Rose  Acacia  is  a  large  shrub  of  southern  range, 
but  hardy  at  the  north  and  highly  prized  for  its 
beauty.  So  thickly  beset  are  twig,  petiole,  pedicel 
and  fruit  pod  with  bristly  hairs  that  they  look  mossy. 
The  bush  grows  vigorously,  matures  early,  and  in 
May  and  June,  also  lingering  into  July,  produces  the 
most  exquisite  rose-colored  pea-like  blossoms  in  loose, 
lax  racemes.  A  native  of  the  woodlands,  it  requires 
protection  against  high  winds,  for  its  branches  have 
never  learned  to  defend  themselves  and  are  easily 
broken.  It  suckers  freely  and,  like  the  other  species 
of  its  genus,  makes  thickets  when  permitted. 

LABURNUM.     GOLDEN   CHAIN 
Labiirnum  vulg&re, 

The  well  known  tree-like  shrub,  Laburnum  or 
Golden  Chain,  is  one  of  the  best  of  our  imported 

103 


PEA  FAMILY 


Rose  Acacia,  Robinia  bisptda. 


GOLDEN    CHAIN 


Golden  Chain,  Laburnum  xulgare. 


PEA   FAMILY 

plants.  It  often  attains  the  height  of  ten  to  fifteen 
feet.  The  leaves  are  tri-foliate  on  rather  long 
petioles.  Early  in  May  the  clear  lemon  yellow  pea 
blossoms,  borne  in  pendulous  racemes  six  to  eight 
inches  long,  fairly  drip  from  the  branches.  The 
flower  is  a  clear  yellow,  except  that  the  banner 
bears  a  small  group  of  reddish  brown  lines.  The  keel, 
as  usual,  nearly  imprisons  the  stamens,  whose  united 
filaments  form  a  protecting  tube  for  the  slender  pod 
within.  By  the  middle  of  July  the  pods,  one  to  two 
inches  long,  hang  in  racemes  from  the  branches  and 
later  become  brown  and  dry  ;  finally  they  open,  dis- 
charging each  its  quota  of  small,  dark  brown  beans. 

The  plant  grows  freely  in  any  good  garden  soil,  but 
prefers  that  with  lime  in  it.  Several  varieties  are  in 
cultivation. 


106 


DRUPACE^E— PLUM    FAMILY 

THE    PLUM 

Prtt  nus. 
Prunus  is  the  ancient  Latin  name  of  the  plum-tree. 

The  genus  Prunus  belongs  to  the  Drupe-bearing  fam- 
ily, which  is  so  named  because  the  fruit  of  ever}'  mem- 
ber from  highest  to  lowest  is  a  drupe  ;  that  is,  a  simple 
stone  fruit,  of  which  the  plum  and  the  cherry  are  ex- 
cellent examples.  The  individuals  are  either  trees  or 
shrubs. 

Within  the  range  covered  by  this  volume  are  several 
native  and  two  naturalized  Prunus  shrubs,  growing  on 
barrens,  sea-beaches,  sandy  hillsides,  or  gravelly  ridges. 
The  flowers  have  a  marked  family  resemblance;  they 
suggest  tiny  roses,  white  or  pink,  and  are  usually  borne 
in  clusters.  They  are  produced  from  separate,  lateral, 
scaly  buds  which  were  formed  the  autumn  before,  and 
they  either  precede  the  leaves  or  appear  with  them. 
The  characters  common  to  the  flowers  of  all  members 
of  the  genus  are :  A  calyx  with  an  urn-shaped  tube 
and  a  five-lobed  spreading  border  which  falls  after 
flowering;  a  corolla  of  five  petals  which  are. inserted 
on  the  throat  of  the  calyx-tube;  many  stamens,  also 
inserted  on  the  throat  of  the  calyx-tube  ;  and  finally  the 

107 


PLUM   FAMILY 

character  that  differentiates  the  genus, — a  single  long- 
styled  pistil  which  sits  alone  at  the  bottom  of  the  urn- 
shaped  calyx-tube  and  there  remains,  continually  en- 
larging as  time  goes  on  until  it  develops  into  what  we 
know  as  a  stone  fruit. 

BEACH    PLUM 
Primus  maritlma. 

Low,  straggling,  thornless,  one  to  seven  feet  high,  growing  in 
clumps  among  the  loose  stones  or  in  the  sand  of  the  sea-shore 
and  in  arid  sandy  places,  twenty  miles  or  more  from  the  sea. 
Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Delaware  and  Virginia. 

Sfems. — Shoots  stout,  hrown,  pubescent,  dotted  with  orange 
lenticels.  Stems  dark,  erect,  or  prostrate;  branches  stiff. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  to  three 
inches  long,  o.al,  ovate  or  obovate,  rounded  at  base,  sharply  ser- 
rate, acute  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  convolute,  pale 
green,  downy,  shining  ;  when  full  grown  are  dark  green,  glabrous 
above,  pale  green  and  pubescent  beneath.  Often  there  are  one 
or  two  glands  near  the  base.  In  a-itumn  they  turn  a  dull  red 
or  orange.  Stipules  small  and  early  deciduous.  Petioles  short, 
pubescent 

Flower;. — April,  May,  before  the  leaves.  White,  showy, 
abundant,  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  broad,  borne  in 
lateral  umbels ;  calyx-lobes  rounded,  slightly  pubescent,  petals 
obovate. 

Fruit. — Globose  drupe,  purple  or  crimson,  covered  with  a 
bloom,  one-half  to  one  inch  in  diameter,  sweet  when  ripe. 
Abundant.  August,  September.  Offered  for  sale  in  the  local 
markets  under  the  name  of  Beach  Plum. 

Garden  and  Forest  describes  the  Beach  Plum  as  "  A 
handsome  plant  when  in  flower,  and  one  which  is  too 
seldom  seen  in  gardens.  A  well  known  coast-plant,  it 
is  found  from  Maine  to  Virginia,  frequently  covering 
sandy  dunes  adjacent  to  sea-beaches.  It  is  a  low,  com- 

108 


BEACH    PLUM 


Beach  Plum,  PTIIHIIS  maritima. 
Flowers  ft'  to  y4'  -cross. 


PLUM   FAMILY 


pact  shrub,  rarely  more  than  three  or  four  feet  high,  in 
its  blooming  period  covered  with  small  white  flowers, 
which  in  late  summer  are  followed  by  a  profusion  of 
handsome,  globular,  purple  or  scarlet  fruit  which  is 
collected  in  large  quantities  at  some  points  on  the  New 
England  coast  and  sold  in  the  markets  for  preserving. 
"  As  a  garden  plant  this  shrub  covers  itself  early 
in  May  with  innumerable  small  white  flowers  which 

wreathe  the  branches  from 
end  to  end  and  have  the 
merit  of  lasting  for  a  con- 
siderable time." 

Graves'  Beach  Plum,  Prnnus 
gravesii,  is  a  rare  species,  four 
feet  high,  with  orbicular  ser- 
rate leaves.  The  white  flow- 
ers, borne  in  lateral  umbels, 

Le,ves  of  the  Beach  Plum,  2'  to  3'  long.      expan(J  with  the  leaves.      Frilit 

is  globose,  nearly  black  with  light  blue  bloom. 

Blackthorn  or  Buckthorn,  Prunus  spinosa,  two  to  fif- 
teen feet  high,  is  a  native  of  Europe,  which  has  escaped 
from  gardens  and  is  found  along  roadsides  from  Mas- 
sachusetts to  Pennsylvania.  It  is  a  much-branched, 
thorny  shrub,  with  oblong  or  ovate  leaves,  rounded  at 
base,  serrate,  and  obtuse  at  apex.  The  fruit  is  globose, 
half  an  inch  in  diameter,  nearly  black,  covered  with  a 
bloom. 

SAND   CHERRY.     DWARF   CHERRY 

Prunus  piimtta. 

A  depressed  or  trailing  shrub,  sometimes  lifting  its  branches 
six  inches,  sometimes  three  or  four  feet.  Found  on  sandy  or 

no 


SAND   CHERRY 


Sand  Cherry,  Primus  pumila. 
Leaves  ij£'  to  2'  long.    Fruit  Ji'  in  diameter. 


PLUM    FAMILY 

gravelly  shores  along  the  sea-coast  from  New  Brunswick  to  New 
Jersey,  also  along  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes  to  Michigan  and 
westward.  Suckers  freely. 

Stems. — Shoots  reddish;  older  stems  brown  with  shining, 
grayish,  outer  bark. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  one  and  a  half 
to  two  and  a  half  inches  long,  oblanceolate  or  spatulate,  nar- 
rowed at  the  base,  serrate  especially  toward  the  apex.  They 
come  out  of  the  bud  conduplicate,  pale  green,  shining;  when 
full  grown  are  glabrous,  deep  green  above  and  pale  below  ;  mid- 
vein  and  primary  veins  conspicuous.  In  autumn  they  turn  a 
deep  blood  red.  Stipules  linear,  glandular,  serrate  at  base. 

Flowers. — April,  May,  with  the  leaves.  White,  one-fourth  to 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  broad,  borne  in  lateral  few-flowered 
umbels;  calyx-lobes  rounded;  petals  small,  obovate;  stamens 
numerous. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  dark  red  or  dark  purple,  nearly  black,  with- 
out bloom,  about  half  an  inch  long,  three-eighths  broad;  flesh 
thin,  acid.  August. 

The  Sand  Cherry  grows  on  the  beach  in  almost  pure 
sand  ;  in  fruiting  time  the  bearing  stems  are  depressed 
with  the  burden  of  the  fruit.  It  suckers  freely  and 
forms  clumps. 

Appalachian  Cherry,  Prnmts  cnncata,  is  a  form  allied 
to  Primus  pumila,  finding  its  home  among  rocks  in- 
stead of  sand.  Often  four  feet  high.  Leaves  oblong 
or  obovate,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  more  or  less  ser- 
rate, obtuse  or  acute  at  apex. 

CHOKE  CHERRY 

Pr units  virginiana. 

The  Choke  Cherry  is  ranked  among  the  trees,  but 
so  frequently  and  so  persistently  appears  as  a  shrub 
that  it  is  popularly  believed  to  be  one.  It  produces 


APPALACHIAN    CHERRY 


Appalachian  Cherry,  Primus  cnneata. 

Leaves  i'  to  )'  long. 


PLUM    FAMILY 

the  choke  cherry,  that  well  known  fruit,  familiar  to 
every  country  child  of  New  England  and  the  Middle 
States.  These  cherries  are  borne  in  a  full  drooping 
raceme,  each  one  about  the  size  of  marrowfat  pea, 
varying  in  color  from  dark  to  bright  red  and  some- 
times yellow.  There  is  a  peculiar  astringent  quality 
about  them,  that  puckers  the  mouth  of  the  eater  and 
darkens  the  teeth  and  the  lips.  When  cooked  this 
quality  entirely  disappears. 

The  flowers  appear  in  loose  racemes  produced  upon 
the  leafy  branches  of  the  year  ;  are  white,  with  nearly 
orbicular  petals  and  exserted  stamens. 

FLOWERING   ALMOND 
Pritnus  japdnica.     Primus  nana.     Pruiuts  amygdalus. 

The  hope,  in  dreams  of  a  happier  hour, 

That  alights  on  misery's  brow, 
Springs  forth  like  the  silvery  almond  flower 

That  blooms  on  a  leafless  bough. 

— THOMAS  MOORE. 

The  Flowering  Almond  was  the  gem  of  our  grand- 
fathers' gardens.  In  books  and  catalogues  it  possesses 
a  fine  collection  of  Latin  names ;  but  when  it  came  into 
England  in  the  seventeenth  century  it  so  surpassed 
the  other  almonds  known  there  in  the  beauty  of  its 
flowers  that  it  gained  at  once  the  name  of  Flowering. 
Through  all  the  changes  of  changeful  science  this 
name  it  has  kept. 

This  dwarf  bush  is  rarely  more  than  four  feet  high, 
and  early,  before  the  leaves,  the  slender  branches 
burst  into  abundant  bloom.  The  flowers  are  solitary 
or  in  two-flowered  umbels,  very  double,  "  crimson- 

114 


CHOKE   CHERRY 


Choke  Cherry,  Prumts  virginiana. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long.     Racemes  }'  to  5'  long. 


PLUM    FAMILY 

tipped,"  and  appear  so  profusely  as  to  transform  the 
branch  into  a  flowery  sceptre.  Stamens  are  few, 
sometimes  a  perfect  one  can  be  found,  but  usually  a 
few  filaments  do  duty  for  all.  Under  a  glass  the  pistil 
will  be  seen  to  have  become  leaf-like.  The  leaves  are 
a  quarter  grown  before  the  petals  fall. 

This  beautiful  creature  comes  into  the  spring-time 
with  charming  grace  ;  the  whole  plant  is  a  mass  of 
pinkish  bloom  ;  its  surpassing  loveliness  continues  for 
but  one  short  week  ;  then  scattering  its  petals  to  the 
ground  it  passes  from  recollection  until  another  spring 
calls  it  to  its  short-lived  service.  "  Beauty  is  its  own 
excuse  for  being." 

In  its  flowering  period  the  little  bush  is  a  late  com- 
panion or  an  immediate  follower  of  the  forsythias;  it 
blooms  with  the  magnolias  and  the  red-buds;  before  its 
roses  have  faded  the  lilacs  are  in  bloom,  and  the  Spirea 
prunifolia  is  out;  often  this  last  overlaps  the  other  so 
that  one  sees  two  sets  of  flower  buttons  side  by  side. 
Two  varieties  of  the  species  are  in  cultivation,  one 
bearing  pinkish  flowers,  and  the  other  white. 


116 


FLOWERING   ALMOND 


Flowering  Almond,  Prumis  japonica. 


ROSACES— ROSE   FAMILY 

MEADOW  SWEET.    WILLOW-LEAVED  SPIRAEA 

Spiraea  salicifblia. 

Spircea,  a  Greek  name  meaning  twisted,  referring  to  the 
twisted  pods  of  some  species. 

An  erect  shrub,  two  to  five  feet  high,  simple  or  branched 
above,  with  smooth,  yellowish  brown  bark  ;  found  in  swamps 
or  moist  ground.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Georgia,  and 
west  to  Missouri ;  also  native  in  northern  Europe,  and  in  Asia. 
Roots  run  for  several  feet  just  below  the  surface ;  variable  ;  often 
cultivated. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  to  three 
inches  'long,  oblong  or  lanceolate,  obovate  or  oblanceolate, 
rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base,  serrate  especially  above  the 
middle,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud 
slightly  involute,  yellow  green,  tipped  with  reddish  brown  ; 
when  full  grown  smooth,  yellow  green  above,  paler  green  be- 
neath ;  when  borne  on  the  upper  part  of  a  young  shoot  fre- 
quently one  or  two  small  leaves  appear  in  the  axils  of  the  regular 
leaf.  The  autumnal  tints  are  a  dull  yellow  or  a  dull  red.  Peti- 
oles short ;  stipules  fugitive  or  wanting. 

Flowers. — July  to  September.  White  or  pinkish,  perfect, 
from  one-fourth  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  across,  borne  in  dense 
terminal  panicles. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-shaped,  five-lobed. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  short-clawed,  white,  ot  rose-tinted, 
obovate ;  inserted  on  the  calyx,  imbricate  in  bud. 

118 


MEADOW   SWEET 


Meadow  Sweet,  Spira-a  salicifolia. 
Leaves  2'  to  3'  long.    Flowers  #'  to  ft'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

Stamens. — Numerous,  exserted,  inserted  on  the  calyx ;  fila- 
ments threadlike. 

Pistil. — Ovaries  five,  superior,  united  at  the  base  ;  style 
threadlike,  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Dry,  consisting  of  five  one-celled,  smooth  carpels, 
united  at  base,  encircled  by  the  persistent  calyx-cup.  Sep- 
tember. 

The  common  Meadow  Sweet  of  the  eastern  states 
is  a  variable  and  widely  distributed  plant,  of  which 
several  varieties  are  in  cultivation ;  all,  however,  keep 
fairly  true  to  the  type.  It  suckers  freely,  so  that  each 
little  bush,  if  given  time  and  freedom,  will  make  a 
thicket  of  upright  stems,  each  of  which,  in  the  flower- 
ing season  will  bear  its  panicle  of  white  or  pinkish 
flowers.  Often  this  rosy  glow  comes  rather  from  the 
calyx  disk  and  the  rosy  anthers  than  from  the  petals. 
The  abundant  stamens  are  characteristic  and  give  the 
cluster  a  peculiar  "  fuzzy  "  look. 

It  has  gathered  to  itself  several  common  names, 
among  them,  Queen  of  the  Meadow,  Quaker  Lady, 
Willow-leaved  Spiraea.  It  differs  from  Spircea  toincn- 
tosa  in  that  stem  and  leaves  are  glabrous  and  the  flower 
cluster  a  little  more  open. 


HARDHACK.     STEEPLE-BUSH 

Spircea  tomentbsa. 

Erect,  leafy,  two  to  three  feet  high  ;  stems  usually  simple, 
twigs  densely  covered  with  brown  tomentum;  found  in  swamps 
and  low  grounds.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Georgia  and 
Manitoba  to  Kansas.  Spreads  rapidly  by  underground  shoots ; 
worthy  of  cultivation. 


120 


STEEPLE-BUSH 


Steeple-bush,  Spircea  tomentosa. 

Leaves  i'  to  ?'  long.     Flowers  Ji'  to  V  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  one  to  three 
inches  long,  ovate  or  oval,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
unequally  serrate,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex.  They  come  out  of 
the  bud  slightly  involute,  densely  tomentose ;  when  full  grown 
are  dark  green  above,  covered  with  brown  tomentum  beneath. 
Stipules  fugitive  or  wanting.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — July,  September.  Rose  or  pale  purple,  perfect ; 
borne  in  dense  terminal  panicles. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-shaped,  five-lobed. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  short-clawed,  rose-tinted,  obovate,  in- 
serted on  the  calyx,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Numerous,  exserted,  inserted  on  the  calyx ;  fila- 
ments threadlike. 

Pistil. — Ovaries  five,  superior,  united  at  the  base ;  style 
threadlike  ;  stigma  capitate. 

fruit. — Dry,  consisting  of  five  one-celled  woolly  carpels, 
united  at  base,  encircled  by  the  persistent  calyx-cup.  Septem- 
ber. 

The  Steeple-bush  is  not  badly  named,  for  the  flower- 
ing panicle  is  terminal,  slender,  and  pointed.  The 
pink  spires  bloom  from  the  top  downward  ;  they  have 
what  is  known  as  centrifugal  inflorescence,  the  flower- 
ing impulse  proceeds  from  the  centre  outward.  As  a 
consequence  the  flower  cluster  is  never  perfect;  when 
the  topmost  flowers  are  open  the  lower  ones  are  half- 
formed  buds,  and  when  the  lower  ones  are  in  bloom 
the  topmost  are  withered  and  brown. 

The  Spiraea  flowers,  as  a  rule,  secrete  little  if  any 
nectar,  but  they  yield  much  pollen  and  are  eagerly 
sought  by  the  bees. 

This  Spiraea  takes  kindly  to  cultivation  and  will 
thrive  in  any  ordinary  position.  It  is  especially  valu- 
able because  of  its  late  flowering. 


122 


THUNBERG'S   SPIRAEA 


Thunberg  s  Spiraea,  Spircta  tbunbergii. 
Leaves  i7  to  a7  long.    Flowers  #'  to  X'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 


Plum-leaved  Spiraea,  Spircea  prunifolia. 


CULTIVATED    SPIRAEAS 

CULTIVATED   SPIRAEAS 

Apart  from  the  native  species  which  appear  now 
and  then  in  cultivation,  there  is  a  large  number  of  dis- 
tinctively garden  Spiraeas  of  great  hardiness  and  ol 
surpassing  beauty.  Time  would  fail  to  tell  the  tale  of 
their  loveliness;  nor  could  space  be  allotted  to  make 
even  a  complete  list  of  their  numbers.  There  are, 
however,  a  few  that  stand  out  preeminent,  and  al- 
though their  number  may  be  enlarged  by  future 
hybrids  and  seedlings,  it  is  scarcely  conceivable  that 
these  should  be  supplanted.  Grace,  delicacy,  per- 
sonal charm  and  exquisite  beauty  may  perhaps  be  per- 
mitted to  hold  their  own  against  mere  bigness — at 
least  in  the  vegetable  world. 

We  mention  first,  because  it  blossoms  first,  that  spe- 
cies of  rare  and  delicate  beauty  known  as  Spir<za  tJinn- 
bcrgii.  The  books  report  it  as  a  dwarf,  but  when  well 
placed  and  well  fed  it  rises  in  compact  and  graceful 
form  to  the  height  of  five  feet.  Of  the  entire  group  it 
is  the  first  to  bloom,  coming  out  with  Forsythia  and 
Magnolia  stcllata.  The  leaves  are  one  to  two  inches 
long,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  and  of  a  peculiar, 
pale,  yellow  green.  It  hold  $  this  airy  foliage  bright 
and  clean  throughout  the  summer;  and  when  autumn 
comes,  after  many  of  its  companions  stand  bare  and 
leafless,  it  clothes  itself  first  in  purple  bronze  and  then 
in  orange  and  scarlet,  and  stands  a  figure  of  beauty 
until  overwhelmed  by  the  autumn  storms.  In  its  Jap- 
anese home  it  loves  the  rocky  hillsides  and  high 
mountain  valleys,  and  is  widely  distributed  through- 
out the  islands. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

The  well  known  double  spiraea,  Spircsa  prunifolia, 
has  long  been  a  garden  favorite  in  this  country.  This 
double  variety  was  developed  by  the  gardeners  of 
Japan  ;  the  single  form  is  probably  not  cultivated 
here.  It,  too,  blooms  early  and  the  flowers  are  abun- 
dant upon  the  stem  ;  so  that  the  bush  is  extremely  ef- 
fective amid  its  companions.  .  Its  habit  is  rigid,  the 
slender  stems  have  not  the  grace  so  characteristic  of 
many  of  the  spiraeas.  The  shining  leaves  are  oblong, 
rounded  at  base,  and  pointed  at  apex,  each  one  poised 
with  a  peculiar  curve.  In  early  autumn  they  turn  a 
scarlet  and  orange,  through  which  there  appears  a 
tone  of  brown  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  a  wonderful 
depth  and  richness  to  the  coloring. 

However  opinions  may  differ  in  regard  to  other 
species  on  the  list,  the  horticultural  world  agrees  that 
Spircea  vanliouttei  is  the  finest  of  them  all.  It  possesses 
a  remarkable  beauty  of  form  ;  in  bloom  it  stands  like  a 
great  white  fountain  ;  in  autumn  its  foliage  runs  through 
a  bewildering  maze  of  rich  claret,  deep  red  with  purple 
tones,  bright  scarlet  and  orange  fading  to  yellow.  The 
origin  of  the  plant  is  not  clearly  known  ;  it  is  generally 
believed  to  have  been  derived  from  an  Asiatic  species, 
Spircea  triloba,  which,  however,  is  not  its  equal. 

There  are  many  dwarf  varieties  offered  by  the 
dealers,  of  which  one  of  the  best  is  that  known  as 
Anthony  Waterer's  Spiraea.  This  bears  rose-colored 
flowers  in  flat  corymbs,  and  blooms  in  midsummer. 
There  are  also  magnificent  spiraeas  on  the  Pacific 
slope,  in  Washington  and  in  Oregon,  which  should 
appear  among  our  ornamental  plants  either  in  their 
own  persons  or  in  hybrids. 


VAN   HOUT'S   SPIRAEA 


Van  Hout's  Spirsea,  Spirtra  vanbonttei. 


ROSE    FAMILY 


Anthony  Waterer's  Spiraea. 


NINEBARK 


NINEBARK 
Opuldster  opulifblius.     Physocdrpus  opulifblius. 

Opiilaster,  resembling  a  wild  opulus,  or  cranberry-tree. 
Physocarpus,  bladder-fruit,  in  reference  to  the  inflated 
pods. 

A  shrub  three  to  ten  feet  high,  with  recurved  branches,  smooth 
twigs  and  foliage,  the  bark  peeling  off  in  thin  strips  ;  found  on 
river  banks  and  in  rocky  places.  Ranges  from  Quebec  to  Geor- 
gia, west  to  Manitoba  and  Kansas.  Often  cultivated. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  palmately  veined,  one  to  three 
inches  long,  ovate-orbicular,  obtusely  or  acutely  three-lobed, 
rounded,  wedge-shaped  or  heart-shaped  at  base  ;  lobes  irregu- 
larly crenate-dentate  or  crenate-serrate.  Stipules  fugitive.  Peti- 
oles three-fourths  to  an  inch  long. 

Flmvers. — June.  White,  rarely  purplish,  perfect,  borne  in 
panicled,  many-flowered  hemispherical  corymbs  one  or  two  inches 
broad,  which  are  terminal  on  short  branches.  Pedicels  slender, 
glabrous  or  pubescent. 

Calyx. — Bell-shaped,  five-lobed,  pubescent,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  white,  five,  rounded,  inserted  on  the  throat 
of  the  calyx,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Thirty  to  forty,  inserted  with  the  petals;  filaments 
white,  anthers  purplish. 

Pistil. — Carpels  five,  on  short  stalks,  alternate  with  the  calyx- 
lobes. 

Fruit. — Follicles,  glabrous,  shining,  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
long,  inflated,  acute,  obliquely  subulate-tipped,  each  containing 
two  to  four  seeds.  Borne  in  corymbs,  each  pedicel  bearing  five. 
Seeds  ovoid  or  globose,  shining. 

The  Ninebark  is  now  very  generally  planted  in  any 
garden  group  of  spiraeas.  The  flower  cluster  resembles 
that  of  Spir<ea  vanliouttci,  but  not  quite  so  many  appear 
on  a  flowering  spray,  and  the  blooming  period  comes  a 
little  later.  The  plant  is  a  spiraea  when  it  blossoms ; 

129 


ROSE   FAMILY 


Ninebark,  Opulaster  opulifolius. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long.     Flower  clusters  i'  to  2'  across. 


NINEBARK 


Ninebark,  Opulaster  opulifolius ;  in  fruit. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

but  after  the  petals  drop  its  specific  character  shows 
itself  and  it  is  clear  that  its  bladder-fruit  name  is  de- 
served. For  each  small  carpel  begins  to  enlarge,  in 
fact  develops  considerably  beyond  the  needs  of  the 
seeds  harbored  within  its  protecting  walls.  Through 
changes  of  green  and  russet  the  inflated  pods  finally 
become  purplish,  and  a  second  time  the  bush  chal- 
lenges attention  because  of  the  burden  of  fruit  which 
weighs  its  slender  branches  almost  to  the  ground.  It 
is  not  altogether  pleasant  to  see  a  plant  so  overpow- 
ered by  its  fruit.  The  Ninebark  is  sometimes  used  for 
hedges;  it  seems  to  bear  the  knife  well  and  makes  a 

c>        ,   " 

leafy  wall. 

PEARL    BUSH.     EXOCHORDA 

Exochorda  grandiflbra. 

Exochorda,  from  exo,  external,  and  chorda,  a  cord  ;  sug- 
gested by  the  placental  cords  supposed  to  be  external  to 
carpels. 

Exochorda,  which  appears  in  our  gardens  both  as  tree 
and  shrub,  undoubtedly  ranks  high  among  the  orna- 
mental plants  that  we  have  received  from  China.  It 
inclines  to  long,  slender  spray,  which  very  quickly 
grows  out  of  bounds  and  becomes  straggling,  naked 
stems;  but  if  properly  pruned  a  compact  and  bushy 
form  may  easily  be  produced  and  just  as  easily  re- 
tained. 

The  flowers  somewhat  resemble  cherry  blossoms, 
but  where  the  cherry  blossom  shows  a  yellow  centre, 
the  Exochorda  is  curiously  green,  with  a  tew  white  sta- 
mens set  on  the  throat  of  the  calyx.  The  plant  is  more 

132 


EXOCHORDA 


Exochorda,  Exocborda  grandiflora. 

Flowers  i'  to  \Y4'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

closely  allied  to  the  spirseas  than  to  the  cherries  or  the 
roses.  The  buds  look  like  buttons ;  the  flowers  come 
out  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  there  is  a  charm- 
ing contrast  between  the  tender  green  of  the  young 
leaves  and  the  snow  white  of  the  abundant  bloom  which 
crowds  upon  the  end  of  every  twig.  Mr. 
J.  G.  Jack,  writing  of  Exochorda,  says: 
"  It  is  sometimes  complained  that  the 
flowers  lack  individual  interest,  are  cold 
and  without  anything  to  excite  sentiment 
or  admiration,  except  by  the  almost  daz- 
zling effect  of  the  full  bloom.  But  al- 
though the  blossoms  are  formal  and  al- 
most bold  in  effect  and  lack  agreeable 
fragrance>  they  appear  after  apple  blos- 
soms have  faded  and  before  Deutzia  and 
Philadelphus  flower,  and  certainly  at  this  season  we 
have  nothing  surpassing  them  in  beauty.  The  flowers 
themselves  are  most  interesting  just  as  the  buds  are 
opening." 

The  fruit  of  Exochorda  is  composed  of  five  small 
bony  carpels  adhering,  in  the  form  of  It  star,  around 
the  central  axis.  Young  plants  are  often  sterile,  but  as 
they  get  older  they  fruit  abundantly ;  the  seeds  ger- 
minate quickly. 

KERRIA.     CORCHORUS.     GLOBE    FLOWER 

Kerria  japonic  a. 
Named  after  Bellenden  Ker,  a  British  botanist. 

This  is  the  old-fashioned  Corchorus  of  our  gardens,  a 
name  originally  applied  through  a  misapprehension  of 

134 


KERRIA 


Kerria. 


Double- flowered 
Form. 


the  botanical  affinities  of  the  plant;  a  name  that  should 
be  supplanted  by  Kerria,  which  sounds  quite  as  well 
and  is  correct.  Botanically  the  plant 
is  allied  to  the  spiraeas. 

The  double-flowered  form  was  the 
first  introduced  from  Japan,  and  im- 
mediately became  a  great  favorite. 
The  blossoms  are  bright  yellow  and 
so  very  double  that  the  name  Globe 
Flower  does  not  seem  inappropriate. 
The  single  form  from  which  the 
double  was  developed  came  later,  and  is  the  more 
beautiful  of  the  two.  It  is  an  error  to  suppose  that  a 
double  flower  is  always  better  than  its  type,  for  the 
multiplication  of  petals  is  frequently  gained  at  the  ex- 
pense of  grace  and  delicacy.  In  this  single  form  the 
flowers,  often  an  inch  and  a  half  across,  are  solitary, 
on  slender  stalks,  and  look  not  unlike  great  buttercups, 
only  the  petals  are  an  orange  yellow  and  not  lustrous. 
The  plant  does  best  where  it  can  have  partial  shade, 
as  the  petals,  curiously  enough,  bleach 
white  in  the  sunlight,  and  in  a  sunny 
location  it  is  rare  to  find  a  flower  with- 
out one  or  more  white  petals. 

The  leaves  are  broad-lanceolate,  long- 
pointed,  deeply  serrate-toothed,  bright 
green  above  and  paler  beneath.  There 
is  a  variety  with  single  flowers  and  va- 
riegated leaves,  but  it  is  not  the  equal 
of  either  of  the  others.  In  winter  the 
stems  are  such  a  brilliant  green  that  they  attract  atten- 
tion standing  among  the  stems  of  other  plants. 


Kerria.     Single-flow- 
ered Form. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

BRAMBLE 

Rubus. 
Rnbus,  the  Roman  name,  kindred  to  rttber,  red. 

The  Bramble  is  allied  to  the  roses,  and  in  many 
respects  the  likeness  between  them  is  marked  ;  but  the 
growth  of  the  stem  and  the  character  of  the  fruit  are 
personal  and  characteristic,  and  fully  distinguish  the 
genus  from  any  other.  In  it  are  included  the  raspber- 
ries, black  and  red,  also  the  blackberries. 

The  Bramble  is  a  sort  of  compromise  between  a  per- 
ennial herb  and  a  shrub.  The  stems  are  indeed  woody, 
but  instead  of  living  on  from  year  to  year  and  bearing 
an  indefinite  number  of  crops,  as  the  currant  or  the 
gooseberry,  they  live  but  about  a  year  and  a  half,  and 
perish  after  maturing  their  fruit;  while  the  roots  live 
on  indefinitely.  The  young  stems  make  very  rapid 
growth  until  they  have  attained  their  normal  stature, 
then  growth  ceases.  These  stems  are  called  canes,  and 
are  very  noticeable  in  any  vigorous  black  raspberry  or 
blackberry  bush,  but  not  quite  so  marked  in  the  reel 
raspberry. 

The  fruit,  likewise,  will  repay  careful  examination. 
In  the  centre  of  a  Rulms  blossom  is  a  group  of  carpels 
set  upon  a  slightly  convex  receptacle.  After  the  petals 
fall  and  the  seed  vessels  begin  to  enlarge,  this  convex 
receptacle  enlarges  too,  and  bears  upon  its  sides  and 
apex  the  numerous  tiny  drupes;  one  for  each  carpel 
of  the  blossom.  They  find  themselves  considerably 
crowded,  and  unite  rather  by  pressure  than  by  growth. 
In  the  case  of  the  raspberries,  the  union  of  the  re- 

136 


PURPLE-FLOWERING    RASPBERRY 

ceptacle  with  the  calyx  is  stronger  than  its  union 
with  the  drupes;  so  when  the  so-called  berry  is  ripe 
the  aggregation  of  little  drupes  slips  off  the  recep- 
tacle and  leaves  it  behind  grown  fast  to  the  calyx.  In 
the  blackberry  the  conditions  are  reversed  ;  the  union 
of  the  receptacle  with  the  drupes  is  stronger  than  with 
the  calyx,  so  when  the  berry  is  ripe  the  drupes  carry 
the  receptacle  with  them.  This  is  the  explanation  of 
the  white  core  always  found  at  the  centre  of  a  black- 
berry. 

PURPLE-FLOWERING   RASPBERRY 

Ritbus  odoratus. 

Raspberry,  from  the  Italian  raspo,   rough,  on  account  of 
the  roughness  of  the  stem  and  leaves. 

A  straggling  shrub  with  upright  stems,  three  to  five  feet  high, 
found  by  roadsides,  in  mountain  paths  and  moist,  shady  places. 
Spreads  rapidly  by  underground  stems.  Ranges  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Ontario  and  Michigan,  south  to  Georgia  and  Ten- 
nessee. 

£ark.—O\\  old  stems  pale,  dull  yellow,  becoming  loose  and 
stringy.  The  recent  shoots  and  flower  branches  are  thickly 
covered  with  purplish  glandular  hairs,  which  continue  up  the 
petiole,  along  the  midrib  and  primary  veins  on  the  under  sur- 
face of  the  leaf,  and  thickly  invest  the  flower-stalk  and  the 
calyx. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  large,  seven  to  nine,  sometimes 
twelve  inches  broad,  palmately  three  to  five-lobed,  cordate  at 
base.  Lobes  serrate,  acuminate ;  the  middle  one  longer  than 
the  others.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  plicate;  shining,  red- 
dish, glandular-pubescent ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  green, 
rough,  hairy  above  and  beneath.  They  remain  unchanged  until 
destroyed  by  the  frost  and  storms.  Petiole  long,  very  pubescent, 
enlarged  at  base  ;  stipules  small,  lanceolate,  acuminate. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

Flowers. — May  to  September.  Perfect,  borne  in  loose 
corymbs  or  panicles,  rose  purple,  showy,  one  to  two  inches 
across;  bracts  membranous. 

Calyx. — Deeply  five-parted,  densely  covered  with  red  glan- 
dular hairs  ;  lobes  tipped  with  a  long  slender  appendage. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  rose  purple,  coming  crumpled  from  the 
bud,  inserted  on  the  disk  of  the  calyx. 

Stamens. — Many,  inserted  on  the  calyx ;  filaments  purple ; 
anthers  dull  yellow,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Many  carpels  inserted  on  a  convex  receptacle ;  style 
purplish  ;  stigma  white. 

Fruit. — Each  carpel  ripens  into  a  tiny  red  drupe,  and  together 
they  form  an  aggregate  fruit,  depressed,  hemispherical,  acid. 
July,  September. 

The  Purple-flowering  Raspberry  is  very  attractive 
as  its  pretty  rose-like  blossoms  look  out  from  a  dense 
thicket  by  a  mountain  path  ;  it  is  equally  attractive 
when  transferred  from  its  wild-wood  home  to  the  gar- 
den. When  permitted,  a  single  bush  will  very  quickly 
form  a  clump,  for  the  underground  stems  send  up 
abundant  shoots.  The  young  stems  and  shoots  are 
clothed  in  velvet,  so  dense  are  the  red  hairs  which 
beset  them  ;  but  the  bark  of  the  oldest  stems  is  a  thing 
of  shreds  and  patches.  The  blooming  period  extends 
from  June  to  October,  but  there  is  never  any  great 
number  of  blossoms  at  one  time.  The  spherical  un- 
opened buds  are  crowned  with  a  flowing  tassel  made 
of  the  five  long  points  of  the  calyx.  The  blossoms 
come  out  from  the  bud  a  soft  rose  purple,  but  quickly 
fade  in  the  sunshine.  In  cultivation  the  plant  should 
be  given  a  shady  place. 

The  fruit  is  a  red  raspberry  that  sits  in  a  calyx-cup  . 
about  it  is  a  fringe  of  dry  stamens.  Each  little  drupe 

138 


PURPLE-FLOWERING    RASPBERRY 


Purple-flowering  Raspberry,  Rtibus  odoratus. 

Leaves  7'  to  $  broad.     Flowers  i'  to  ifa'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

is  bright  red,  velvety  with  white  hairs  and  crowned 
with  a  style.  The  drupes  readily  separate  from  one 
another  and  also  from  the  receptacle;  in  flavor  area 
sharp  acid. 

The  marked  personal  characteristic  ot  Rubus  odo- 
ratiis  is  the  astonishing  abundance  of  glandular  hairs 
upon  the  recent  shoots,  the  leaves,  the  petioles,  the 
flower-stalk  and  the  calyx.  Botanically,  glands  are 
cellular  bodies  containing  some  peculiar  secretion,  and 
situated  on  or  below  the  cuticle,  which  covers  the  sur- 
face of  a  plant.  Stalked  glands  are  these  little  bodies 
elevated  upon  a  stalk  or  stem. 

WILD    RED  RASPBERRY 
J\'ubns  strigbsus. 

Low,  erect,  three  to  six  feet  high,  loving  dry  or  rocky  situ- 
ations. Ranges  from  Newfoundland  and  Labrador  to  British 
Columbia,  south  in  the  Alleghanies  to  North  Carolina  and  south- 
west to  New  Mexico.  Suckers  freely. 

Steins. — Biennial,  branched  ;  new  shoots  densely  clothed  with 
weak  glandular  bristles  and  older  stems  with  small  hooked 
prickles.  New  shoots  and  branchlets  red  with  a  bloom;  old 
stems  pale,  dull  yellowish  brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  pinnately  compound ;  leaflets  five  in 
lower  leaves,  three  in  upper  leaves,  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches 
long  ;  ovate  or  ovate-oblong,  rounded  at  base,  coarsely  and  ir- 
regularly serrate  or  slightly  lobed,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex  ; 
lateral  leaflets  are  sessile  and  bilateral  ;  midvein,  primary  and 
secondary  veins  depressed  above,  prominent  beneath  ;  when 
full  grown  the  leaves  are  a  bright  yellow  green,  smooth  above, 
pale  green  or  whitish,  downy  beneath.  In  autumn  they  become 
a  rich  vinous  red,  sometimes  touched  with  yellow,  or  fall  with 
little  change  of  color.  Petiole  armed  with  tiny  bristles  and 
prickles.  Stipules  narrow  and  deciduous. 

140 


RED   RASPBERRY 


Red  Raspberry,  Rubus  strigosus 

Leaflets  i'  to  3'  long. 


ROSE   FAMILY 

flowers. — May.  Perfect,  rose-like,  about  half  an  inch  broad, 
borne  in  terminal  or  axillary,  loose  racemose  or  paniculate  clus- 
ters, white ;  pedicels  slender. 

Calyx. — Persistent,  tube  short  and  broad  ;  border  deeply  five- 
parted  ;  segments  acuminate. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  imbricate  in  bud,  inserted  on  the 
disk  that  lines  the  calyx  tube. 

Stamens. — Numerous,  inserted  with  the  petals  on  the  calyx. 

Pistil. — Carpels  numerous,  crowded  upon  a  convex  receptacle, 
ripening  into  drupelets. 

Fruit. — Consists  of  many  drupelets  that  adhere  and  form  an 
aggregate  fruit,  which  falls  away  from  the  white  spongy  recep- 
tacle when  ripe.  Red,  delicious.  July. 

The  Red  Raspberry  of  our  hillsides  and  fence  cor- 
ners is  the  progenitor  of  all  the  cultivated  varieties 
found  in  our  gardens  ;  and  they  really  differ  very  little 
from  it.  At  first  the  effort  was  made  to  acclimate  va- 
rieties of  Rubus  idceiis,  the  Red  Raspberry  of  Europe, 
but  this  was  not  a  success.  Our  climate  seemed  like  the 
woodman's  historic  trap,  especially  adapted  "  to  ketch 
'em  comin'  and  goin'."  If  the  carefully  imported  plants 
survived  our  summers  for  a  few  years,  they  finally 
succumbed  to  our  winters.  Or,  if  sheltered  from  the  se- 
verity of  our  winters,  one  hot  dry  summer  finished  them. 
They  simply  could  not  live  here.  Professor  Card  con- 
siders that  over  one  hundred  varieties  have  been  plant- 
ed, of  which  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  survive,  and 
these  in  the  gardens  of  amateurs.  All  the  commercial 
varieties  are  either  chance  seedlings,  careful  hybridiza- 
tions, or  sports,  of  Rubus  strigosus,  and  their  name  is 
legion.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  in  several  of  the 
best  there  still  lingers  a  strain  of  the  European  rasp- 
berry which  never  fails  to  improve  the  quality  of  the 

142 


BLACK   RASPBERRY 

fruit  at  the  same  time  that  it  affects  the  hardiness  of 
the  plant. 

The  root  of  all  the  raspberries  belongs  to  that  type 
which  is  called  travelling  ;  that  is,  the  suckers  run  out 
in  every  direction  away  from  the  central  root,  so  that 
the  new  stems  come  up  each  year  in  fresh  soil.  This 
is  nature's  plan  for  providing  "  green  woods  and  past- 
ures new."  It  is  evident  that  the  raspberry  in  its  wild 
state  is  continually  changing  its  situation,  and  when 
domesticated  it  should  be  frequently  taken  up  and  re- 
planted in  fresh  soil.  The  seeds  are  said  to  retain  their 
vitality  for  a  long  time.  The  white  raspberry  of  cul- 
tivation is  probably  a  sport  of  the  common  red  rasp- 
berry. 

BLACK  RASPBERRY.  THIMBLE-BERRY.  BLACK-CAP 

Riibus  occidentalis. 

Straggling,  prickly,  with  long  arching  stems;  growing  by 
bowlders,  in  fence  corners,  by  falling  trees ;  common  throughout 
our  range  and  widely  cultivated. 

Stems. — Biennial,  slender,  terete,  recurved,  ten  to  twelve  feet 
long,  purple,  densely  covered  with  whitish  bloom  ;  often  root- 
ing at  the  tip ;  sparingly  armed  with  small  hooked  prickles. 
Old  stems  dull  maroon. 

Leaves, — Alternate,  pinnately  compound.  Leaflets  three,  rare- 
ly five,  two  to  five  inches  long ;  terminal  leaflet  ovate ;  lateral 
leaflets  bilateral ;  margins  coarsely  cut  and  irregularly  serrate, 
apex  acute  or  acuminate.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  plicate, 
pale  yellow  green  above,  downy  and  glaucous  beneath  ;  when 
full  grown  are  bluish  green  above,  whitish  beneath.  In  autumn 
they  remain  unchanged  until  destroyed  by  the  early  winter 
storms.  Petioles  armed  with  small  prickles.  Stipules  decid- 
uous. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  white,  borne  in  terminal 
corymbose  clusters,  on  branchlets  apparently  borne  on  one  side 
of  the  stem. 

Calyx. — Five-parted,  persistent ;  tube  short ;  sepals  acute, 
usually  reflexed. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  small  and  fugitive,  often  emargi- 
nate. 

Stamens. — Many,  inserted  on  the  calyx. 

Pistil. — Carpels  many,  inserted  on  a  convex  receptacle  ;  style 
slender. 

Fruit. — Each  carpel  ripens  into  a  small  drupe  and  together 
they  form  an  aggregate  fruit,  which  is  black,  shining,  hemispher- 
ical, delicious  ;  when  ripe  this  falls  a\vay  from  the  receptacle, 
leaving  that  with  the  calyx.  July,  August. 

In  late  summer  the  Black  Raspberry  bush  shows 
clearly  its  bramble  nature.  The  fruiting  stems  which 
in  June  were  so  vigorous,  so  crowded  with  clusters  of 
ripening  berries,  are  now  faded,  dishevelled,  disheart- 
ened ;  the  corymbs  of  dried  calyxes  show  where  the 
berries  were  ;  the  life-impulse  is  departing  from  the 
stem,  its  vitality  is  exhausted,  it  is  dying  of  old  age. 

Beside  the  dying  stem  stands  youth  and  life  and 
vigor  in  the  person  of  the  young  cane  springing  from 
the  centre  of  the  bush  and  by  a  graceful  arch  meeting 
the  ground  two  or  three  feet  away.  Its  strong  stem 
bears  the  bloom  of  youth  ;  its  leaves  fairly  glow  with 
life.  Its  poise  is  one  of  exquisite  beaut}7 ;  but  its  nat- 
ure is  somewhat  feline  withal,  for  it  resents  disturb- 
ance and  upon  occasion  will  scratch.  It  has  started  on 
its  full  career;  this  summer  it  will  mature  the  buds 
which  next  year  will  produce  the  leaves  and  flowers 
and  fruit  of  the  plant,  and  then  it,  too,  will  go  the  way 
of  its  predecessors.  The  King  is  dead  !  Long  live  the 

144 


BLACK    RASPBERRY 


Black  Raspberry,  Rubtis  occidentals. 

Leaflets  j'  to  5'  long. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

King!  The  root  of  the  bramble  lives  on  indefinitely 
but  its  life  functions  in  consecutive  and  ever  renewed 
stems. 

HIGH-BUSH   BLACKBERRY.     COMMON    BRIER 

Rubus  nigrobdccus.     Riibus  villbsus. 

A  straggling  prickly  bush  with  stems,  both  erect  and  recurved, 
three  to  eight  feet  high ;  found  throughout  the  eastern  portions 
of  the  United  States  and  far  northward  in  British  America ; 
known  by  its  peculiar  and  pleasant  fruit.  Grows  in  thickets, 
along  roadsides,  in  neglected  fields.  Multiplies  abundantly  by 
creeping  roots. 

Stems. — Biennial,  shrubby,  erect  or  recurved,  angular,  fur- 
rowed, three  to  eight  feet  high,  armed  with  stout  curved  prickles, 
green  or  dark  purple,  with  a  bloom.  Young  branches,  pedun- 
cles, stipules,  petioles  and  veins  beneath,  pubescent  and  bearing 
numerous  glandular-tipped  hairs. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  compound,  three  to  five-foliate.  Leaf- 
lets ovate  or  lance-oblong,  two  to  four  inches  long,  rounded  at 
base,  unequally  serrate,  acute  at  apex;  terminal  leaflet  somewhat 
heart-shaped  and  conspicuously  stalked  ;  the  side  leaflets  also 
stalked ;  midrib  and  petiole  armed  with  stout  prickles.  They 
come  out  of  the  bud  plicate,  dull  reddish  green,  shining,  hairy  ; 
when  full  grown  are  dark  green  above,  paler,  hairy  and  glandular 
beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  rich  vinous  red,  varying  to 
bronze,  purple  or  fading  to  orange.  Stipules  linear  or  lance- 
olate. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Of  the  rose  type,  white,  showy,  three- 
fourths  to  an  inch  and  a  quarter  across,  borne  mainly  in  termi- 
nal, racemose,  leafless  panicles.  Calyx  persistent,  deeply  five- 
parted,  its  tube  short  and  broad  ;  petals  white,  obovate,  much 
longer  than  the  sepals  ;  stamens  inserted  on  the  calyx.  Pedicels 
glandular-hairy,  an  inch  or  two  long,  standing  out  at  obtuse 
angles  to  the  main  axis. 

Fruit. — An  aggregate  fruit  consisting  of  many  small,  black, 
shining  drupes  borne  on  a  long  white  axis  which  is  the  elonga- 
tion of  the  receptacle.  The  drupes  do  not  separate  from  the 

146 


HIGH-BUSH   BLACKBERRY 


High-bush  Blackberry,  Rubus  nigrobaccus. 

Flowers  %'  to  iJi'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

receptacle,  but  both  fall  from  the  calyx   together.     Sweet  and 
aromatic.     August,  September. 

The  tangled  blackberry,  crossed  and  recrossed,  weaves 
A  prickly  network  of  ensanguined  leaves. 

— JAMKS  RUSSELL  LOWELL. 

If  you  wish  to  enjoy  the  richness  of  the  fruit  you  must  not  be  hasty  to 
pluck  it.  When  the  children  say  with  a  shout,  "The  blackberries  are 
ripe!"  I  know  that  I  can  wait.  When  the  children  report,  "  The  birds 
are  eating  the  berries  !  "  I  know  that  I  can  wait.  But  when  they  say, 
"The  bees  are  on  the  berries  !  "  I  know  they  are  at  their  ripest.  Then 
with  baskets  we  sally  forth.  *  *  *  Even  now  we  gather  those  only 
which  drop  at  the  touch, — these  in  a  brimming  saucer,  with  golden  cream 
and  a  soup9on  of  powdered  sugar  are  Olympian  nectar  ;  they  melt  before 
the  tongue  can  measure  their  full  roundness  ;  and  seem  to  be  mere  bloated 
bubbles  of  forest  honey. 

— "  My  Farm  at  Edgewood. "     DONALD  G.   MITCHELL. 

Every  one  knows  the  Blackberry,  the  Common 
Brier,  because  of  its  marked  tendency  to  inhabit  and 
possess  the  earth.  It  springs  up  in  any  neglected 
place  and,  if  undisturbed,  takes  possession  and  holds 
its  own  against  all  intruders.  It  loves  the  sea-shore, 
flourishes  on  the  mountain  side,  is  especially  thrifty  at 
the  edge  of  woods,  fairly  riots  in  fields  lately  cleared 
or  recently  burned  over,  holds  to  the  fencerows,  and 
wanders  along  the  roadside. 

The  species  varies  greatly  in  habit,  but  each  and  all 
forms  possess  a  sturdy  vitality  which  enables  them  to 
live  in  spite  of  discouragement.  Sometimes,  indeed, 
they  discourage  the  farmer,  for  simply  to  cut  them 
down  is  useless;  they  promptly  scramble  up  again 
and  can  be  eradicated  only  by  uprooting.  When  the 
waste  land  is  to  be  reclaimed,  transformed  into  past- 
ure, or  meadow,  or  cultivated  field,  to  uproot  is 
praiseworthy  ;  but  to  destroy  this  wild  luxuriant 

148 


HIGH-BUSH    BLACKBERRY 

growth,  beautiful  in  leaf  and  in  flower,  grateful  in 
fruit,  glorious  in  its  rich  autumnal  coloring, — simply 
to  make  a  desolation,  or  to  provide  more  space  for  rag- 
weed and  plantain  and  beggar-ticks, — is  zeal  without 
knowledge.  Yet  this  is  what  happens  nine  cases  out 
of  ten  when  the  rural  street  commissioner  starts  out 
upon  his  devastating  career  to  improve  the  country 
roadside. 

Rubus  nigrobaccus  is  the  prevailing  form  of  the  high- 
bush  blackberries  of  the  woods  and  fencerows  of  the 
north  ;  from  this  wild,  untamed,  hardy  stock  has 
sprung  the  blackberry  of  cultivation.  The  well  known 
Lawton,  Kittatinny  and  Wilson  varieties  originated 
from  wild  seedlings  found  by  the  wayside  and  trans- 
ferred to  the  garden. 

The  botanical  history  of  this  High-bush  Blackberry 
is  entangled  and  confused.  The  plant  is  really  Rubns 
villosus  of  American  botanists.  It  so  appears  in  Gray's 
Manual,  sixth  edition.  But  in  following  out  the  rules 
of  nomenclature  adopted  by  the  American  Association 
for  the  Advancement  of  Science  it  was  discovered 
that  the  name  Rubus  villosus  belonged  to  another  plant. 
Prof.  L.  H.  Bailey  was  able  to  determine  this  by  per- 
sonally examining  the  herbaria  of  Linnaeus  and  of 
Aiton.  As  a  consequence  our  wild-wood  brier  became 
nameless,  and  finally  received  the  Latin  synonym  of 
its  common  name — nigrobaccus, — blackberry.  In  study- 
ing the  plant  it  is  well  to  remember  that  the  five- 
foliate  leaves  are  found  usually  on  young  and  sterile 
stems,  the  three-foliate  upon  the  fertile  ones. 

Professor  Bailey,  in  "  The  Evolution  of  our  Native 
Fruits,"  published  in  1898,  writes  as  follows: 

I4Q 


ROSE    FAMILY 

"  Of  the  high-bush  blackberry  there  are  three  general 
types  or  categories: 

"  (i)  The  common  high-bush  blackberry  of  the  north, 
which  has  large,  pointed,  villous  leaves  and  long,  open, 
pubescent  racemes.  This  is  the  plant  which  is  ordi- 
narily taken  as  the  type  of  Rubus  villosus,  but  strangely 
enough,  although  the  common  blackberry,  it  now  has 
no  scientific  name.  I,  therefore,  propose  to  call  it 
Rubus  nigrobaccus. 

"(2)  The  leafy-cluster  type  of  blackberry,  which  is 
characterized  by  a  stiffer  and  mostly  shorter  growth, 
by  smaller  and  usually  narrower  leaves,  short  and 
leafy  flower  clusters  and  the  general,  although  not 
complete  absence  of  villousness.  This  plant  must  now 
receive  the  name  Rubus  argutus,  and  its  synonyms  are 
Rubus  frondosus,  and  Rubus  subercctus. 

"(3)  The  thornless  blackberry  type  which  must  now 
be  called  Rubus  canadcnsis,  a  synonym  of  which  is 
Rubus  millspaugliii" 

Professor  Bailey  writes  further  as  follows : 

"  Another  form  of  the  high-bush  blackberry  is  a  plant 
which  Porter  has  named  Rubus  allcglicnicnsis  or  the 
Mountain  Blackberry.  *  *  *  Since  Professor  Porter 
has  studied  the  plant  in  its  native  state  for  many  years 
I  shall  accept  the  plant  as  a  distinct  species.  I  am  the 
more  inclined  to  this  opinion  since  if  the  common 
high-bush  blackberry  were  to  be  united  to  the  Moun- 
tain Blackberry,  Rubus  allegheniensis  would  have  to 
be  taken  as  the  type  of  the  species  ;  and  I  should  con- 
sider it  unfortunate  to  take  a  mountain  form  as  the 
type  of  a  common  continental  plant.  This  arrange- 
ment gives  an  analytical  and  perspicuous  treatment  to 

150 


LEAFY-BRACTED    BLACKBERRY 


Leafy-bracted  Blackberry,  Ri(bns  argutus. 

Flowers  Ji'  to  i&'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

the  high-bush  blackberries  and  should  be  the  means 
of  making  the  various  forms  better  known.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  in  plants  which  are  so  confused  as 
rubi,  intermediate  and  perplexing  forms  will  be  found; 
but  even  these  forms  can  be  best  understood  when  the 
plants  are  broken  up  into  their  reigning  types." 

In  Britton's  "  Manual  of  the  Flora  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada  "  Rubus  argutus  and  Rubus  frondosus 
are  considered  as  separate  ;  R.  argutus  being  the  gla- 
brate  species,  with  the  more  southern  habitat ;  and  R. 
frondosus  the  Leafy-bracted  Blackberry. 

Rubus  nigrobaccus  sativus,  the  Short-cluster  Black- 
berry, differs  from  the  type  in  that  it  is  lower,  the 
leaflets  broader,  less  distinctly  long-pointed,  fruits 
rounder  and  looser.  It  is  the  nondescript  blackberry 
of  open  fields  and  is  the  parent  of  the  larger  part  of 
the  short-cluster  or  garden  blackberries. 

Although  the  Blackberry  group  is  very  confusing 
to  an  amateur,  a  few  marked  types  can  easily  be  deter- 
mined ;  the  High-bush,  R.  nigrobaccus,  with  its  mountain 
form,  R.  allegheniensis,  and  its  unkempt  poor  relation, 
R.  nigrobaccus  -saliva,  are  not  difficult  to  recognize. 
The  corymbose  R.  argutus,  synonym  R.  frondosus,  can 
also  be  distinguished  both  .in  flower  and  fruit.  The 
straggling  Dewberry,  R.  procumbcns,  which  once  was 
one  but  now  is  many,  can  be  readily  recognized  in  its 
type. 

But  to  distinguish  among  the  varying  and  connect- 
ing forms  which,  grouped  about  these  types,  are  now 
considered  species,  is  the  task  of  the  expert.  More- 
over, the  experts  do  not  altogether  agree  among  them- 
selves. It  is  probable  that  the  group  will  always  be 

152 


RAND'S   BLACKBERRY 

more  or  less  of  a  problem  to  the  classifying  botanist. 
The  fact  that  so  many  varieties  have  come  into  culti- 
vation— that  their  seeds  are  scattered  by  the  birds  in 
out-of-the-way  places ;  that  the  seedlings  so  produced 
will  vary,  returning  to  their  type  with  modifications 
— obviously,  will  continue  to  confuse  the  situation. 

In  the  meantime,  the  great  types  stand  out  clear 
enough  for  the  amateur  to  enjoy ;  and  if  the  variabil- 
ity of  the  family  tends  to  drive  the  botanist  to  distrac- 
tion, it  also  makes  possible  the  production  of  a  fruit 
unique  in  character  and  most  delicious  in  flavor. 

As  a  cultivated  plant  the  blackberry  is  a  purely 
American  fruit ;  all  the  varieties  have  been  developed 
from  native  wild  plants;  and  we  alone  of  all  peoples 
prize  "  The  blackberry  that  was  the  bramble  born." 

RAND'S   BLACKBERRY 
Rubus  rdndii. 

This  is  a  native  of  northern  woods,  ranging  from 
New  Brunswick  to  Maine  and  west  to  northern  Michi- 
gan. Low  and  diffuse  in  habit ;  stems  nearly  glabrous 
and  so  soft  and  slender  as  to  appear  almost  herba- 
ceous; prickles  few  and  weak,  often  wanting.  Leaves 
are  very  thin,  three  or  five-foliate.  The  flower  cluster 
is  long,  many-flowered  ;  the  flowers  about  half  the  size 
of  those  of  Rubus  nigrobaccus ;  the  fruit  small,  dry  and 
seedy. 


153 


ROSE  FAMILY 


LEAFY-BRACTED  BLACKBERRY.  LEAFY-CLUSTER 
BLACKBERRY 

Ritbus  argutus.     Ritbus  frondbsus. 

"A  plant  of  comparatively  stiff  and  straight  growth,  usually 
shorter  than  R.  nigrobaccus,  with  narrower  and  more  rigid  leaf- 
lets. Stems  stout,  angled,  with  rather  stout  straight  prickles, 
and  the  whole  plant  glabrous  or  only  slightly  villous,  except  in 
some  of  the  very  young  parts.  The  flower  clusters  are  short 
and  leafy  ;  flowers  about  the  size  of  those  of  R.  nigrobaccus.  Its 
range  is  wide,  extending  from  New  Brunswick  and  Lake  Superior 
to  Florida,  Mississippi  and  Kansas.  It  is  less  common  in  the 
north  than  R.  nigrobaccus  but  is  more  abundant  in  the  south, 

and  there  is  a  southern  variety." 

— L.   H.  BAILEY. 


THORNLESS   BLACKBERRY.     MILLSPAUGH'S 
BLACKBERRY 

Riibus  canadensis.     Rub  us  millspaughii. 

"  This  plant  has  the  general  habit  of  R.  nigrobaccus,  but  is  dis- 
tinguished by  its  long  and  slender  petioles,  mostly  narrow  and 
long  acuminate  leaves,  long  stipules,  and  especially  by  its  lack 
of  pubescence  and  general  absence  of  thorns.  It  is  apparently 
a  well-marked  species,  showing  throughout  the  country  in  the 
higher  elevations  froir  the  Carolinas  northward  to  Lake  Supe- 
rior." 

— L.  H.  BAILEY. 

The  following  account  of  this  Blackberry  is  quoted 
by  Professor  Bailey  in  "  The  Evolution  of  our  Native 
Fruits  "  from  notes  made  by  Mr.  Kofoid,  of  North  Caro- 
lina. "  It  seems  to  be  very  abundant  where  it  occurs, 
forming  dense  thickets  of  upright  stems  five  to  eight 

^54 


LEAFY-BRACTED    BLACKBERRY 


Leafy-bracted  Blackberry,  Rubits  argiitus. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

feet  in  height.  As  late  as  the  2gth  of  August  we  found 
the  fruit  just  turning  a  faint  reddish  tinge  and  quite  pal- 
atable and  sweet  to  a  hungry  man.  Natives  say  that  the 
fruit  becomes  ripe  and  black  in  September.  The  berries 
are  large,  long  and  slender  and  very  sweet,  lacking  the 
sharply  acid  or  bitterish  quality  of  the  berries  of  the 
lower  mountains.  There  are  no  thorns  or  prickles. 
One  can  go  through  the  patches  unscathed.  *  * 
There  are  several  botanical  characters  which  distin- 
guish this  species  from  the  common  blackberry,  aside 
from  the  absence  of  thorns.  It  lacks  almost  entirely, 
except  on  some  of  the  young  shoots,  the  conspicuous- 
ly pubescent  character  of  the  common  species.  The 
leaves  are  thin,  and  the  leaflets  sharply  toothed  and 
prominently  long-pointed.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
characters  lies  in  the  leaflet  stalks.  Upon  vigorous 
shoots  the  leaflets  are  five,  and  the  three  upper  ones 
have  stalks  from  one  to  three  inches  long." 

MOUNTAIN    BLACKBERRY 

Rubus  alleghenitnsis.     Ritbus  villbsus,  var.  montanus. 

Similar  to  Rubus  nigrobaccus,  though  smaller,  stems 
more  slender,  very  prickly,  branches  commonly  red- 
dish, the  younger  parts  glandular-pubescent.  Fruit 
dry  with  a  somewhat  spicy  flavor,  three-fourths  to  an 
inch  long,  thimble-shaped,  narrowing  toward  the  tip; 
drupelets  small  and  numerous.  Found  on  mountains 
and  high  lands  of  the  Atlantic  states,  throughout  the 
Alleghany  region.  In  its  typical  iorms  this  blackberry 
is  very  well  marked,  but  it  frequently  seems  to  grade 
back  to  the  type. 

156 


DEWBERRY 


Dewberry,  Rnbiis  procnmbens. 
Flowers  i'  to  \yS  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

LOW    RUNNING    BLACKBERRY.     DEWBERRY 

Rubus  procumbens.     Rubus  canadensis. 

"  A  strong-growing  prickly  plant,  mostly  with  glabrous  sterns, 
which  sometimes  rise  a  foot  or  two  above  the  earth  and  are  then 
prostrate  ;  leaves  medium  to  rather  large,  firm  and  thick,  of  three 
to  seven  oval  or  ovate,  rather  long-pointed  and  sharply  doubly- 
toothed  leaflets;  racemes  erect,  with  leaf-like  bracts  and  from 
one  to  three-flowered,  the  central  flowers  opening  first ;  fruit  va- 
riable, but  usually  globose  or  ovoid,  with  a  few  large  and  rather 
loose  drupelets,  shining  black,  sour,  but  becoming  sweet  at  full 
maturity.  This  is  the  common  dewberry  of  the  northern  states 
growing  along  the  roadsides  and  on  banks,  the  strong  stems  often 
reaching  a  length  of  five  to  eight  feet.  The  species  has  a  wide 
range,  occurring  as  far  south  as  Florida  and  west  and  southwest 
to  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  Arizona.  It  is  a  very  variable  species, 
and  it  is  probable  that  future  observations  may  show  that  it 
should  be  broken  up  into  two  or  three  specific  types. 

— L.  H.  BAILEY. 

This  plant  has  had  many  names.  It  is  the  Rubus 
villosus  of  Aiton,  the  Rtibus  canadensis  of  authors,  not 
Linnasus,  and  now  it  seems  to  have  the  name  Rubus 
procumbens. 


Rubus  hispidus. 

"  Stems  scarcely  woody  but  lasting  over  winter,  perfectly 
prostrate  and  beset  with  small,  reflexed,  weak  bristles,  sending  up 
many  short  and  leafy  flowering  shoots ;  leaflets  mostly  three, 
obovate,  blunt  and  shining,  firm  and  thick  in  texture,  and  tend- 
ing to  be  evergreen  ;  flowers  small  and  few  on  leafless  peduncles ; 
fruit  of  few  grains,  red  or  purple  and  sour." 

— L.  H.  BAILEY. 

158 


DEWBERRY 


Dewberry,  Rnbiis  procumbent. 

Leaflets  2'  to  3'  long. 


ROSE   FAMILY 


Running  Swamp  Blackberry,  Rubus  hispidus. 

Leaflets  %'  to   \%'  long. 


SHRUBBY   CINQUEFOIL 

"Few  trailing  plants  combine  a  better  effect  of  flower  and 
foliage  than  our  Swamp  Blackberry.  Its  common  name  suggests 
wet  places  as  its  chosen  home,  but  it  is  also  found  in  dry  sandy 
soil.  It  blooms  through  the  most  of  June.  The  foliage  looks 
evergreen  although  it  is  not,  and  in  the  autumn  it  ranks  with 
woodbine  in  the  brilliancy  of  its  changing  tints." 

— Garden  and  forest. 


SHRUBBY   CINQUEFOIL 

Potentilla  fruticbsa. 

Potentilla,  diminutive  of  potens,  powerful,  from  the  medic- 
inal properties  of  some  species.  Cinquefoil,  in  reference 
to  the  five  leaflets  of  some  species. 

Erect  or  ascending,  much  branched,  very  leafy,  bark  shreddy, 
six  inches  to  four  feet  high  ;  found  in  swamps,  also  in  moist, 
rocky  places.  Ranges  from  Labrador  and  Greenland  to  Alaska, 
south  to  New  Jersey,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains to  Arizona  and  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas  to  California.  Also 
in  northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  pinnately  compound.  Leaflets  five  to 
seven,  oblong  or  somewhat  oblanceolate,  entire,  acute  or  acutish 
at  each  end,  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  silky 
pubescent,  margins  revolute.  Stipules  ovate-lanceolate,  acute, 
entire. 

Flowers. — June  to  September.  Cymose  or  solitary,  bright 
yellow,  about  half  an  inch  across.  Calyx  five-lobed,  five-brac- 
teolate ;  corolla  of  five  nearly  orbicular  petals ;  stamens  fifteen 
to  twenty;  style  lateral,  threadlike;  achenes,  disk  and  recep- 
tacle long-hairy. 

The  Shrubby  Cinquefoil  can  very  easily  become  a 
weed,  for  it  has  learned  how  to  live  under  adverse 
conditions  and  its  natural  range  is  enormous.  Con- 
trolled, however,  it  is  an  excellent  plant  to  mass  in 

161 


ROSE    FAMILY 


Shrubby  Cinquefoil,  Potentate  fmticosa. 

Leaflets  y2r  to  ^'  long.     Flowers  ^'  to  ^'  across. 


THE    ROSE 

parks,  as  an  undershrub,  to  brighten  the  dull  places. 
Its  midsummer  bloom,  is  also  in  its  favor  for  garden 
planting. 

THE    ROSE 

Rosa. 
Rosa  is  the  ancient  Latin  name  of  the  flower. 

Erect  or  climbing  shrubs,  generally  with  subterranean  root- 
stocks,  which  send  up  suckers  at  some  distance  from  the  parent. 
Stems  usually  prickly ;  stalks  and  foliage  often  bearing  aromatic 
glands ;  flowers  usually  fragrant. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  odd-pinnate,  with  stipules  which  grow 
fast  to  the  petioles.  Leaflets  vary  in  number  from  three  to 
eleven. 

Flowers. — Solitary  or  in  loose  corymbs;  pink,  red,  or  white 
in  our  species. 

Calyx. — Cup-shaped,  or  urn-shaped,  constricted  at  the  throat, 
becoming  fleshy  in  fruit,  five-lobed ;  lobes  spreading,  deciduous 
or  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  obovate  or  obcordate,  inserted  upon  the 
edge  of  the  disk  that  lines  the  calyx-tube. 

Stamens. — Many,  inserted  with  the  petals  at  the  edge  of  the 
calyx-disk. 

Pistil. — Made  up  of  many  separate  carpels  seated  within  the 
urn-shaped  cup  ;  ovaries  hairy;  styles  distinct  or  united. 

Fruit. — Achenes,  numerous,  enclosed  in  the  berry-like  fruiting 
calyx-cup,  called  a  hip.  This  hip  becomes  pink  or  red  or  orange 
at  maturity. 

Six  species  of  native  wild  roses  are  common  within 
tlie  range  covered  by  this  volume,  besides  two  or  three 
that  "come  out  of  the  west"  and  frequently  cross  the 
border ;  there  are  in  addition  two  acclimated  species. 
The  specific  characters  that  differentiate  them  refer 
principally  to  the  habit,  the  leaves,  and  the  stem,  rather 

163 


ROSE   FAMILY 

than  to  the  flower.  All  our  native  roses  are  single ;  all 
are  pink.  White  flowers  occasionally  occur,  but  rather 
as  an  inconstant  variation  than  as  a  specific  character. 
The  pink  of  the  rose  is  unstable;  it  fades  so  quickly  in 
the  bright  sunlight  that  in  order  to  know  the  real 
color  of  the  flower  one  must  see  it  when  opening.  The 
blossom  secretes  no  nectar;  its  fragrance-call  to  the 
bee  is  an  invitation  to  gather  pollen. 

The  fruit,  which  is  peculiar  and  characteristic,  con- 
sists of  a  hollow  cup  within  which  are  closely  packed 
many  achenes,  and  protruding  through  a  hole  at  the 
top  are  the  remnants  of  the  styles,  one  style  for  each 
achene.  It  is  called  a  hip,  and  is  the  invariable  fruit  of 
the  rose.  Two  views  exist  concerning  it.  Some  con- 
sider it  to  be  the  calyx-tube  which  has  become  fleshy ; 
others  regard  the  fleshy  part  of  the  hip  as  the  recepta- 
cle enlarged  and  hollowed  so  as  to  embrace  and  pro- 
tect the  achenes. 

MICHIGAN   ROSE.      CLIMBING   ROSE.      PRAIRIE   ROSE 

Rosa  se  tiger  a. 

A  climbing  rose  found  in  thickets  and  on  prairies.  Ranges 
from  Ontario  to  Ohio,  South  Carolina  and  Florida,  west  to  Wis- 
consin and  Nebraska  and  southwest  to  Texas;  has  escaped  from 
cultivation  in  New  Jersey  and  Virginia.  Grows  rapidly;  strong 
shoots  reaching  ten  to  twenty  feet  in  a  single  season. 

Stems. — Climbing  or  sprawling,  several  feet  long,  armed  with 
scattered,  straight  or  curved  prickles,  not  bristly.  Twigs,  peti- 
oles, and  peduncles  often  glandular-pubescent.  Stems  green  or 
reddish,  often  dark  purple  with  a  bloom. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  three  to  five,  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a 
half  inches  long,  oval  or  ovate,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex,  sharply 

164 


MICHIGAN    ROSE 


Michigan  Rose,  Rosa  setigera. 

Leaflets  three  to  five.     Flowers  1%'  to  }'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

serrate,  rounded  at  base ;  texture  thick,  veins  and  veinlets 
deeply  depressed.  Autumnal  tints  are  a  combination  of  bronze- 
purple,  red,  pink,  orange  and  yellow.  Stipules  extremely  nar- 
row. Petiole  prickly,  glandular-pubescent. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Corymbose,  varying  from  deep  to 
pale  pink,  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches  across,  destitute  of 
fragrance.  Calyx-lobes  ovate,  acute,  glandular,  finally  decidu- 
ous ;  petals  obcordate ;  styles  cohere  in  a  protruding  column,  as 
long  as  the  stamens. 

Fruit. — Hip,  red,  globose,  more  or  less  glandular,  three- 
eighths  to  half  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Rosa  setigcra  is  our  only  native  climbing"  rose  and  is 
the  parent  of  the  Baltimore  Belle  and  other  double 
climbing  varieties.  In  its  single  state  it  is  one  of  our 
most  beautiful  roses,  with  its  clean  handsome  foliage 
and  full  clusters  of  flowers,  deep  rose  pink  as  they 
first  expand  but  very  pale  before  they  fall.  Only  one 
defect  can  be  found,  they  are  nearly  scentless.  The 
blooming  season  is  late;  when  the  flowers  of  nearly 
all  other  species  have  faded,  these  are  in  their  prime. 

Left  to  grow  in  a  natural  way,  the  stems  will  climb 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  among  the  branches  of  other 
shrubs  and  small  trees,  and  lift  their  flower  clusters 
far  above  ordinary  reach.  If,  however,  the  bush  is 
planted  alone  and  allowed  to  develop,  the  stems  will 
rise  three  or  four  feet,  then  arch  and  bend  over  with 
tips  trailing  on  the  ground,  presenting  a  unique  and 
attractive  appearance. 

The  colors  that  the  leaves  take  on  in  autumn  when 
the  long  arching  stems  turn  purple  and  are  coated 
with  a  glaucous  bloom,  present  a  bewildering  confu- 
sion of  green  and  purple  bronzes,  brightened  with 
pink  and  rose  and  dull  red,  with  yellow  and  orange. 

166 


MEADOW   ROSE 

The  flowers  are  delightfully  decorative.  Cut  the 
branches  when  the  blossoms  begin  to  appear,  supply 
them  abundantly  with  water  and  the  buds  will  unfold 
day  after  day  for  a  week,  giving  a  most  charming  suc- 
cession of  opening  roses ;  for  the  little  branch  seems 
scarcely  conscious  that  it  has  severed  connection  with 
the  root. 

In  cultivation,  this  child  of  the  prairies  requires  a 
deep  rich  soil  and  generous  treatment.  Gardeners 
recommend  that  it  be  planted  on  the  top  of  a  bank 
that  its  long,  vigorous  and  graceful  shoots  may  grow 
in  their  own  wild-wood  fashion  to  cover  it.  So 
treated  it  is  a  thing  of  beauty  throughout  the  summer. 

Rosa  sctigera  may  be  easily  recognized  among  its 
companions  at  any  season  of  the  year  by  its  long 
trailing  stems;  in  summer  by  its  three  leaflets;  in  the 
blooming  season  by  the  rich  flower  clusters  and  also 
by  the  peculiar  upright  column  which  the  styles  make 
in  the  centre  of  the  flower. 


MEADOW    ROSE.     EARLY   WILD    ROSE.     SMOOTH 
ROSE 

Rosa  bldnda. 

Low,  erect,  one  to  four  feet  high  ;  found  mostly  in  rocky 
places.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  through  New  England  to 
central  New  York,  west  to  Illinois  along  the  region  of  the  Great 
Lakes.  Stems  a  dark  venous  red ;  slender  prickles  sometimes 
present  but  not  abundant ;  no  spines. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  five  to  seven,  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
long,  oval  or  obovate,  wedge-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  simply 
and  somewhat  irregularly  serrate,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex,  short- 

167 


ROSE   FAMILY 

stalked ;  pale  green  above  and  slightly  paler  beneath.  Stipules 
broad,  dilated,  entire  or  slightly  glandular-toothed. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Stems  one  to  three-flowered,  rarely 
more,  pink,  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches  across.  Calyx-lobes 
acuminate,  entire,  hispid-pubescent,  persistent  and  erect  upon 
the  fruit ;  petals  obovate  or  obcordate,  erose  ;  styles  distinct. 

Fruit. — Hip,  bright  scarlet,  globose  or  pyrifbrm  or  obpyri- 
form,  glabrous,  half  to  five -eighths  of  an  inch  long,  crowned 
with  the  calyx-lobes. 

The  distinctive  characters  of  Rosa  blanda  are  its  low 
habit,  its  unarmed  stems,  and  its  broad  dilated  stipules. 
The  hip  is  globose  or  pyriform  or  obpyriform,  wholly 
destitute  of  glandular  hairs,  and  when  mature  still  re- 
tains the  calyx-lobes,  which  approach  each  other. 

The  Arkansas  Rose,  Rosa  arkansana,  was  formerly 
considered  a  variety  of  Rosa  blanda  but  is  now  re- 
garded as  a  distinct  species.  Like  the  type  it  is  low, 
and  loves  the  meadows ;  but  the  stems,  instead  of  being 
smooth,  are  densely  prickly  with  very  sharp  and  very 
slender  bristles.  The  leaflets  frequently  number 
eleven.  The  stipules  are  narrow  and  the  pink  blos- 
soms appear  in  corymbs,  rarely  if  ever  solitary.  In 
habit  and  general  appearance  it  is  like  the  Meadow 
Rose,  but  it  varies  considerably  in  what  are  consid- 
ered the  specific  characters.  It  is  a  rose  of  the 
prairies,  ranging  from  Minnesota  and  Iowa  to  Ne- 
braska, Colorado,  Texas  and  New  Mexico.  The  hips 
are  little  globes  three-eighths  to  half  an  inch  in 
diameter. 


168 


EARLY   WILD    ROSE 


Early  Wild  Rose,  Rosa  blanda. 
Leaflets  five  to  seven-    Flowers  2%'  to  3'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

SWAMP  ROSE.     CAROLINA   ROSE 

Rosa  Carolina. 

Erect,  stiff,  five  to  seven  feet  high  with  rather  distant,  stout, 
commonly  recurved  spines,  often  with  prickles  scattered  along 
the  stem;  old  stems  dull  purple;  common  in  low  wet  grounds 
and  borders  of  streams  and  swamps.  Ranges  from  Nova  Sco- 
tia to  Florida  and  Mississippi,  westward  as  far  as  Minnesota. 
Suckers  freely;  makes  clumps. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  five  to  nine,  usually  seven,  varying  consid- 
erably in  outline,  oval,  ovate,  ovate-lanceolate  or  obovate,  one 
to  two  inches  long,  wedge-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  serrate, 
acute  or  obtuse  at  apex,  often  pubescent  beneath.  In  autumn 
they  turn  dull  red  of  varying  tints  and  shades  ;  frequently  darken 
in  midsummer.  Stipules  dilated.  Petioles  often  prickly. 

Floiuers.—]\tf\z.  to  August.  Bright  pink,  two  to  two  and  one- 
half  inches  across,  borne  in  corymbose  clusters.  Calyx-lobes 
lanceolate,  acuminate,  often  dilated  above,  hispid-pubescent, 
spreading;  after  flowering  deciduous;  petals  obcordate ;  styles 
distinct. 

Fruit. — Hip,  scarlet,  globose  or  depressed-globose,  three- 
eighths  to  one-half  an  inch  long,  glandular-hispid.  Clings  all 
winter  and  remains  in  good  color  until  March. 

The  Carolina  Rose  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  of 
our  native  roses.  At  the  blossoming  time  it  seems  to 
possess  the  swamps  and  waste  lowlands.  It  suckers 
freely ;  the  underground  stems  travel  fast  and  travel 
far,  and  no  plant  is  companionless  after  the  first  year. 

This  is  an  excellent  rose  for  park  lanes  and  road- 
sides. It  is  hardy,  and  will  grow  in  good  soil  with 
only  a  moderate  amount  of  water,  and  the  flowering 
season  is  long. 


170 


SWAMP    ROSE 


Swamp  Rose,  Rosa  Carolina. 
Leaflets  five  to  nine.     Flowers  2'  to  ilj'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 


Rose-hips.     Upper,  Rosa  blanda ;  lower,  Rosa  Carolina. 


LOW   ROSE 

LOW   ROSE.      PASTURE    ROSE.      DWARF  WILD    ROSE 
A'dsa  hum  His, 

Erect,  bushy,  six  inches  to  three  feet  high ;  stems  usually 
armed  with  sharp,  slender,  straight  spines  just  below  the  stipules, 
and  also  more  or  less  prickly.  Found  in  dry  or  rocky  soil  from 
Maine  and  Ontario  to  Wisconsin,  Georgia,  Kansas,  and  Louisi- 
ana. Suckers  freely. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  five,  seven,  one-half  to  one  inch  long,  rather 
thin,  ovate,  oval  or  obovate,  rounded  or  pointed  at  base,  coarse- 
ly serrate,  acute  at  apex,  short-stalked  or  sessile,  glabrous  or 
pubescent  beneath  ;  not  shining  above.  Autumnal  tints  red  and 
orange,  brilliant.  Stipules  narrow,  entire.  Petioles,  pedicels 
and  calyx  usually  glandular. 

Flowers. — May  to  July.  Solitary,  or  two  to  three  together, 
fragrant,  two  to  two  and  a  half  inches  across,  pink  ;  pedicels 
and  calyx  usually  glandular.  Calyx-lobes  lanceolate,  acuminate 
or  dilated  at  apex,  usually  lobed,  spreading  and  deciduous: 
petals  obovate  or  obcordate  ;  styles  distinct. 

Fruit. — Hip,  red,  globose  or  depressed-globose,  about  one- 
third  of  an  inch  long,  glandular-hispid,  without  the  calyx-lobes. 
Clings  to  the  branch  throughout  the  winter. 

In  the  middle  west  this  little  bush  frequently  be- 
comes an  undershrub  and  is  often  found  almost  entirely 
shaded.  The  flowering  season  is  long  ;  for  it  blooms 
very  deliberately  and  has,  moreover,  the  pleasant  habit 
of  putting  forth  a  few  stray  blossoms  in  early  autumn. 
The  stem  is  not  very  strongly  armed,  the  spines  are 
few,  but  sharp  as  'needles,  and  go  straight  to  their  aim. 
This  rose  is  well  adapted  for  coast  planting  ;  loves  the 
cool  moist  air  of  the  sea ;  is  perfectly  hardy  and  able 
to  withstand  the  rigor  of  winter. 


173 


ROSE    FAMILY 


Pasture  Rose,  Rosa  bumilis. 

Leaflets  five  to  seven.     Flowers  2'  to  2^'  across. 


GLOSSY  ROSE 


Glossy  Rose,  Rosa  Incida. 

Leaflets  seven  to  nine.     Flowers  i'  to  1%'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

GLOSSY  ROSE.     DWARF   SWAMP    ROSE 

Rosa  lucida. 

Bushy,  from  three  to  six  feet  high ;  found  in  wet  places. 
Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  New  Jersey  and  westward.  Suck- 
ers very  little. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  seven  to  nine,  one-half  to  one  and  one-halt 
inches  long,  elliptic  or  obovate-elliptic,  coarsely  serrate,  most- 
ly acute  at  both  ends,  thick,  shining  above,  slightly  pubescent 
beneath.  Stipules  somewhat  dilated,  often  glandular-toothed; 
prickles  rather  stout  and  flat,  straight  or  slightly  curved. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Few  or  solitary,  about  two  inches 
across.  Calyx-lobes  usually  entire. 

Fruit. — Hip,  scarlet,  depressed  globose,  glandular-hispid,  one- 
third  of  an  inch  long. 

This  rose  and  Rosa  Jiumilis  so  approach  each  other 
that  much  confusion  exists  with  regard  to  them.  In 
comparison  with  Rosa  nitida  the  leaves  are  a  lighter 
green  ;  in  comparison  with  Rosa  humilis,  of  thicker  text- 
ure. The  bush  is  adapted  for  borders  of  shrubberies; 
the  bright  shining  foliage  and  abundant  bloom  com- 
mend it  in  summer,  and  in  winter  a  glow  of  color  is 
diffused  by  its  red  fruits  and  its  brownish  red  stems. 

NORTHEASTERN   ROSE 

Rbsa  nitida. 

Bushy,  one  to  two  feet  high  ;  stems  and  branches  very  densely 
covered  with  slender  straight  prickles  nearly  as  long  as  the  slen- 
der infrastipular  spines  ;  found  in  low  grounds  and  borders  of 
swamps.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Massachusetts ;  often 
along  the  sea  shore.  Suckers  freely. 

Leaves. — Leaflets,  seven  to  nine,  short-stalked,  one-half  to  an 
inch  and  a  half  long,  oval  or  narrowly  oblong,  sharply  serrate, 

176 


NORTHEASTERN    ROSE 


Northeastern  Rose,  Rosa  nitida. 

Leaflets  seven  to  nine.     Flowers  I  %'  to  2%'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

acute  at  both  ends ;  terminal  leaflet  sometimes  slightly  obovate 
and  obtuse  at  the  apex  ;  thick,  bright  green  and  shining.  Au- 
tumnal tints  orange  and  red,  brilliant.  Stipules  usually  broad, 
often  glandular. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Spray  one  to  three-flowered,  roses 
.deep  pink,  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches  across.  Calyx 
and  pedicels  usually  glandular.  Calyx-lobes  lanceolate,  acumi- 
nate, entire,  hispid  or  glandular,  finally  spreading,  deciduous; 
petals  often  obcordate.  Styles  distinct.  Fragrant. 

Fruit. — Hip,  scarlet,  globose,  about  one-third  of  an  inch 
high,  glandular-hispid.  Clings  to  the  branches  through  the 
winter. 

Rosa  nitida  is  one  of  our  most  beautiful  native  roses. 
Its  range  is  not  very  extensive  and  the  plant  seems  not 
to  be  generally  known.  Although  damp  swamps  and 
low  moist  grounds  are  its  native  home,  transferred 
to  the  garden  it  grows  freely,  making  a  broad  mass 
of  bright  foliage,  and  blooming  with  great  profusion. 
One  character  which  may  aid  to  identify  it  are  the  red 
shoots  thickly  beset  with  slender  red  spines  barely 
stouter  than  the  red  prickles.  No  other  of  our  native 
roses  has  just  this  combination. 

SWEETBRIER    EGLANTINE 
Rosa  rubiginbsa. 

Slender,  four  to  six  feet  high,  wands  often  longer,  destitute 
of  prickles  but  armed  with  stout,  recurved  spines.  Naturalized 
from  Europe;  found  along  roadsides  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Vir- 
ginia. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  five  to  seven,  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches 
long,  elliptical  or  oblong-ovate,  rounded  at  base,  doubly  serrate, 
obtuse  at  apex  ;  smooth  above,  densely  glandular-pubescent  and 
resinous  beneath ;  very  aromatic.  Stipules  one-half  to  five- 
eighths  of  an  inch  long,  rather  broad.  Petioles  prickly. 

178 


SWEETBRIER 


Sweetbrier,  Rosa  rubiginosa. 

Leaflets  five  to  seven.     Flowers  iJi'to  \%'  across. 


ROSE    FAMILY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Solitary  or  in  twos,  an  inch  and  a 
quarter  to  an  inch  and  a  half  across,  pink  varying  to  white. 
Pedicels  and  calyx  glandular-hispid.  Calyx-lobes  lanceolate, 
usually  much-lobed,  spreading,  deciduous  ;  petals  obcordate  or 
obovate ;  styles  distinct. 

Fruit. — Hip,  scarlet,  oval  or  pyriform,  one-half  to  one  inch 
long,  glandular,  without  the  calyx-lobes. 

I  know  a  bank  whereon  the  wild  thyme  blows, 
Where  oxlips  and  the  nodding  violet  grows ; 
Quite  over-canopied  with  lush  woodbine, 
With  sweet  musk  roses  and  with  eglantine. 

— "Midsummer  Night's  Dream."     SHAKESPEARE. 

With  fairest  flowers 

I'll  sweeten  thy  sad  grave  ;   thou  shall  not  lack 
The  flower  that's  like  thy  face,  pale  primrose  ;  nor 
The  azure  harebell,  like  thy  veins  ;   no,  nor 
The  leaf  of  eglantine,  who  not  to  slander 
Out-sweetened  not  thy  breath. 

—  "Cymbeline."     SHAKESPEARE. 

If  the  Sweetbrier  did  not  come  over  in  the  May- 
flower it  certainly  followed  hard  upon ;  for  we  know 
that  it  bloomed  in  Pilgrim  gardens  long  before  the 
close  of  the  seventeenth  century.  We  can  well  under- 
stand that  it  was  dear  to  the  homesick  wanderers,  for 
this  is  the  Eglantine  of  Chaucer,  of  Spenser,  and  of 
Shakespeare;  the  rose  that  is  embedded  in  the  very 
warp  and  woof  of  English  life  and  so  of  English  litera- 
ture. 

In  spite  of  its  fierce  armament  there  is  a  certain  del- 
icacy about  the  Sweetbrier  which  gives  it  a  charm 
peculiarly  its  own.  The  blossom  is  small  and  pale  and 
in  itself  not  fragrant ;  the  delightful  fragrance  of  the 
plant  resides  in  the  pale,  amber,  resinous  glands  which 
so  thickly  cover  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  as 
well  as  pedicel  and  calyx. 

180 


DOG   ROSE 

The  long,  thorny  branches  sprawl  and  scratch  and 
seize  and  hold ;  and  because  of  this  the  bush  has  very 
generally  been  banished  from  lawn  and  garden.  It 
has  fled  to  the  roadside  and  there  when  June  is  young 
it  unfolds  its  delicate  blossoms  and  yields  its  delicious 
fragrance  for  the  pleasure  of  any  who  pass  by. 

Of  late  years  the  gardeners  have  been  at  work  upon 
the  plant  and  they  say  they  have  hybrids  much  finer 
than  the  type.  It  may  be  so ;  but  my  allegiance  holds 
fast  to  the  wild  creature  of  Chaucer  and  of  Shake- 
speare, to  "the  jaws  that  bite"  and  "the  claws  that 
catch  "  of  the  old  English  gardens. 

DOG   ROSE.     CANKER   ROSE.     WILD   BRIER 

Rdsa   canlna. 

Erect  or  straggling,  four  to  six  feet  high,  wands  sometimes 
ten  feet  long,  usually  armed  with  stout,  short,  hooked  spines,  not 
bristly  but  sometimes  glandular.  Native  in  northern  Asia;  nat- 
uralized from  Europe.  Escaped  to  roadsides  and  waste  places 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Virginia;  abundant  in  the  valley  of  the 
Delaware.  Called  Cat-whin  and  Canker-bloom. 

Leaves. — Leaflets  five  to  seven,  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
long,  oval  or  ovate,  obtuse  or  rounded  at  base,  serrate,  obtuse  at 
apex;  smooth,  rather  thick,  sometimes  downy  beneath.  Stip- 
ules broad,  glandular. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Solitary,  or  two  to  four  in  a  cluster, 
pink,  varying  to  white.  Calyx-lobes  lanceolate,  much-cut,  re- 
flexed,  deciduous  ;  petals  obovate  or  obcordate  ;  styles  distinct. 

Fruit. — Hip,  scarlet,  long-ovoid,  half  to  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  long,  usually  glabrous,  without  the  calyx-lobes. 

The  Dog  Rose,  naturalized  from  Europe,  is  common 
throughout  New  England  and  greatly  resembles  the 
Sweetbrier  except  that  it  lacks  fragrance. 

181 


ROSE  FAMILY 


Dog  Rose,  Rosa  canina. 

Leaflets  five  to  seven.     Flowers  i^'  to  ij£'  across. 


JAPANESE    ROSE 


Japanese  Rose,  Rosa  rttgosa. 


Flowers  2%'  to 


ROSE    FAMILY 

JAPANESE   ROSE 

Rosa  rugbsa. 

The  Japanese  Rose  is  one  of  the  best  of  our  recent 
importations  ;  its  virtues  are  many,  its  defects  few.  It 
takes  care  of  itself,  requires  very  little  attention,  grows 
up  strong  and  sturdy,  makes  a  good  hedge  row.  The 
large  single  flowers,  both  pink  and  white,  bloom  off 
and  on  from  June  to  October;  in  fact  they  can  be 
found  in  favored  locations  in  early  November.  The 
great  red  hips  are  nearly  as  ornamental  and  effective 
as  the  roses  themselves.  The  stout  stems  are  thickly 
beset  with  prickles  and  bristles  ;  the  leaflets  are  five  to 
seven,  rough,  dark  green  and  shining  above,  whitish 
and  pubescent  beneath.  The  flowers  are  two  and  a 
half  to  three  and  a  half  inches  across.  Varieties  with 
double  flowers  have  been  developed,  and  several  good 
hybrids  are  offered  by  the  dealers. 

JAPANESE  TRAILING   ROSE 

• 

Rosa  wichuraiana. 

This  is  distinctly  a  trailing  plant,  but  may  be  so 
trained  on  a  trellis  as  to  figure  as  a  climbing  rose.  It 
grows  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  will  throw  out 
wonderfully  long  shoots  in  one  season.  When  the  mul- 
titude of  single  white  roses  appear  in  June,  against  the 
background  of  shining,  dark  green  foliage,  the  effect  is 
exceedingly  fine.  The  individual  flower  is  exquisite; 
petals  of  the  purest  white  surround  a  golden  centre, 
and  the  whole  gives  forth  a  delicious  fragrance.  Mr. 

184 


JAPANESE   TRAILING   ROSE 


Japanese  Trailing  Rose,  Rosa  u'icburataiia. 

Flowers  1%'  to  1%'  across. 


ROSE   FAMILY 

J.  G.  Jack,  writing  shortly  after  the  introduction  of  this 
rose,  says  of  it:  "As  a  rule,  the  stems  trail  closely  along 
the  ground,  but  the  new  stems  of  each  succeeding  year 
grow  over  the  preceding  ones,  and  where  the  tips  get 
a  chance  to  climb  through  the  branches  of  some  other 
shrub  they  take  advantage  of  the  support  and  become 
more  or  less  raised.  In  fact,  its  habit  is  more  like 
that  of  a  trailing  blackberry  or  dewberry  than  any  other 
familiar  object. 

'Considering  that  its  importation  was  undesigned  or 
without  a  knowledge  of  its  peculiar  habit  or  value,  the 
introduction  of  this  rose  has  proved  a  very  fortunate 
circumstance.  Its  dark,  shining,  evergreen-looking 
foliage  will  form  a  splendid  covering  for  any  rough 
piece  of  ground,  and  sandy  or  gravelly  areas  are  likely 
to  prove  very  congenial  to  the  growth  of  the  plant." 

Many  hybrids  have  been  developed  from  the  species; 
some  double,  some  bearing  larger  clusters  than  the 
type,  others  really  evergreen,  and  some  admirable 
dwarf  plants  suitable  for  borders. 


186 


POMACE/E— APPLE   FAMILY 

RED   CHOKE-BERRY 

Arbnia  arbntijblia. 
Aronia,  modified  from  Aria,  the  Beam-tree  of  Europe. 

An  erect  shrub,  two  to  eight  feet  high,  with  slender  branching 
stems  and  grayish  brown  bark ;  grows  in  swamps  and  wet  woods, 
also  in  dry  soil.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Minnesota,  south 
to  Florida  and  Louisiana. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  three  inches  long,  oval,  ob- 
long or  obovate,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base,  serrulate- 
crenulate,  obtuse  or  abruptly  pointed  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown 
are  bright  shining  green  above,  pale,  sometimes  pubescent,  often 
densely  tomentose  beneath.  The  mid  vein  is  glandular  along  the 
upper  side.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  dark  scarlet  and  orange  or 
fall  with  little  change  of  color.  Petioles  short;  stipules  decid- 
uous. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  rose-shaped,  white,  or  purple- 
tinged,  one-half  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  across;  borne  in  ter- 
minal, compound,  downy  corymbs  which  are  finally  over-topped 
by  the  young  shoots. 

Calyx. — Urn-shaped,  five-lobed,  tomentose,  adnate  to  the 
ovary. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  concave,  spreading,  imbricate  in 
bud. 

Stamens. — Numerous,  inserted  on  the  calyx-tube;  filaments 
white,  anthers  pinkish  purple. 

Pistil. — Inferior,  tomentose,  five-celled  ;  styles  three  to  five, 
united  at  the  base. 

187 


APPLE    FAMILY 


Red  Choke-berry,  Arania  arbtitifolia. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long. 


PURPLE-FRUITED    CHOKE-BERRY 


Purple-fruited  Choke-berry.  Aronia  atropurpurca. 
Leaves  i'  to  3'  long. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

Fruit. — Pome,  sweetish,  rather  dry,  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  globose,  or  somewhat  depressed,  red,  not  lustrous, 
bearing  the  remnants  of  the  calyx-lobes  and  stamens.  Septem- 
ber, October;  persistent  until  early  winter. 

The  Choke-berries  are  distinctly  ornamental  plants. 
Their  foliage  color  is  good,  being  a  rich  shining  green, 
so  that  the  plant  is  attractive  for  its  color  alone.  Three 
species  are  now  recorded  ;  and  the  specific  differences 
lie  in  the  fruit  rather  than  in  the  leaves  or  flowers.  The 
red-fruited  species  is  the  one  most  abundant  in  the 
south  ;  the  other  two  are  northern.  Why  these  berries 
are  not  attractive  to  birds  is  something  of  a  puzzle : 
the  flesh  is  somewhat  dry,  to  be  sure,  but  the  flavor  is 
agreeable ;  and  yet  the  fact  remains  that  birds  pass 
them  by,  for  others  distinctly  inferior  and  unpleasant. 
All  the  Choke-berries  are  excellent,  country  roadside 
shrubs. 

Purple-fruited  Choke-berry,  Aronia  atropurpnrca^v^s 
long  confused  with  Aronia  nigra,  from  which  it  differs 
in  habit,  and  in  the  color  of  its  fruit.  This  is  the  tall- 
est of  the  Choke-berries,  sometimes  reaching  a  height 
of  twelve  feet.  In  shape  and  size  the  leaves  are  not 
distinguishable  from  those  of  the  other  species  of  the 
genus;  and  the  glandular  midrib  is  a  marked  character 
common  to  them  all.  The  flowers  are  white,  about 
half  an  inch  across,  borne  in  terminal  corymbs;  calyx 
and  pedicles  tomentose.  The  fruit  is  not  quite  black, 
rather  a  deep  purple ;  it  remains  on  the  bush  until 
early  winter. 

The  Black  Choke-berry,  Aronia  nigra,  is  usually  a 
lower  bush  than  either  of  the  others.  It  is  found  in 
swamps,  or  low  woods,  sometimes  in  dryer  soil.  The 

190 


BLACX    CHOKE-BFRRY 


Black  Choke-berry,  Aronia  nigra. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

leaves  are  obovate  or  oval,  short-petioled,  serrulate- 
crenulate,  obtuse  or  abruptly  pointed,  shining  green 
above,  glabrous  and  yellow  green  beneath.  They  vary 
from  two  to  two  and  one-half  inches  long,  and  the  mid- 
rib is  glandular  along  its  upper  surface.  The  flowers 
are  white,  about  five-eighths  of  an  inch  across,  bearing 
many  stamens  with  pinkish  purple  anthers.  The  fruit 
is  one-half  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  borne 
in  clusters,  of  a  shining  black,  and  falls  very  soon  after 
maturity.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida,  and 
west  to  Ontario  and  Michigan. 

SHADBUSH.     JUNE-BERRY 

A  mcldnch  ier  botryapium . 
Amelanchier,  the  Savoy  name  of  a  different  tree. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  the  foliage  and  inflorescence  densely 
white,  woolly  when  young;  found  in  swamps  and  on  river  banks. 
Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Florida  and  westward  through 
the  Mississippi  valley. 

Letives. — -Simple,  alternate,  pinnately  veined,  oblong,  oval, 
ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate,  rounded  at  base,  acute  at  apex,  finely 
and  sharply  serrate.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  conduplicate, 
are  densely  white  pubescent  when  young,  nearly  or  quite  gla- 
brous when  old.  Autumnal  tint  yellow. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  white,  borne  in  short  rather 
dense  racemes  ;  pedicels  and  calyx  covered  with  silky  white 
hairs. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  carapanulate,  white,  woolly,  adnate  to 
the  ovary,  five-lobed  ;  lobes  narrow,  reflected,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  white,  five,  inserted  on  the  calyx-tube,  spatu- 
late  or  linear,  about  half  an  inch  long. 

Stamens. — Many,  inserted  on  the  calyx -tube;  filaments  awl- 
like. 

192 


SHADBUSH 


Shadbush,  Amelancbier  botrt'jpiiim. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  its  cavities  twice  as  many  as  the 
styles  ;  styles  two  to  five,  pubescent  at  base. 

Fruit. — Pome,  berry-like,  one-fourth  to  three-eighths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  sweet,  delicious.  June,  July. 

In  northern  woods  the  Amelanchiers  are  conspicuous  in  early  spring 
by  the  colors  of  their  unfolding  leaves ;  in  one  form  these  are  red,  in  an- 
other silvery  white,  and  their  vernal  beauty  is  increased  by  brilliant  scarlet 
bud-scales  and  bracts,  and  by  the  silky  white  hairs  which  clothe  the  young 
growth.  Of  the  delicate  beauty  of  the  flowers  of  this  tree  it  is  not  necessary 
to  speak,  for  everyone  who  walks  abroad  in  early  spring  knows  the  white 
flowers  of  the  Shadbush  which  in  April  and  May  enliven  the  banks  of 
swamps  and  upland  woods  all  over  eastern  America. 

— Garden  and  Forest. 

The  homely  name  of  Shadbush  was  given  to  the 
Amelancliicr  group  by  the  early  inhabitants  of  our 
eastern  states,  because  they  flower  at  the  time  when 
the  shad  begin  to  ascend  the  tidal  rivers. 

The  sixth  edition  of  Gray's  "Manual  of  Botany" 
considers  most  of  the  northeastern  June-berries  as 
varieties  of  Amelancliicr  canadcnsis ;  but  later  botanists 
are  inclined  to  regard  these  varieties  as  species.  How- 
ever far  the  genus  may  be  divided  upon  botanic  dif- 
ferences,, to  the  popular  mind  a  Shadbush  is  a  Shad- 
bush,  for  its  white  bloom  appears  among  the  mist  of 
opening  buds  and  is  unmistakable.  Its  message  is 
borne  afar, — from  rocky  hillside  over  mountain  valley 
— that  spring  has  come.  To  the  birds,  likewise,  a 
Shadbush  is  a  Shadbush,  for  the  family  fruit  has  been 
preempted  by  the  birds  for  ages  and  feeble  human  ef- 
forts to  secure  it  have  been  outclassed  from  the  first. 
It  seems  quite  unnecessary  to  descant  upon  the  deli- 
cacy of  its  flavor ;  it  is  so  antecedently  improbable 
that  ordinary  mortals  should  ever  have  an  opportunity 
to  enjoy  it. 

104 


LOW   JUNE-BERRY 


Low  June-berry,  Amelancbier  spicata. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

The  Low  June-berry,  Amelancliier  spicata,  rises  to 
the  height  of  three  feet  from  a  long  root  creeping 
among  rocks.  The  leaves  are  elliptic  or  oval,  one  to 
one  and  a  half  inches  long,  rounded  at  both  ends, 
sometimes  subacute  at  apex  and  sometimes  stibcordate 
at  base,  serrulate  or  dentate  crenate,  woolly  when 
young.  The  flowers  are  borne  in  many  four  to  ten- 
flowered  racemes  ;  the  pomes  are  about  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  in  diameter. 

The  Round-leaved  June-berry,  AmelancJiicr  rotundi- 
folia,  appears  as  both  tree  and  shrub,  and  is  distin- 
guished by  means  of  its  leaves,  which  are  broadly  oval, 
ovate  or  nearly  orbicular,  serrate  with  large  teeth, 
usually  glabrous  from  the  time  of  unfolding,  though 
sometimes  woolly.  Its  fruit  is  a  little  larger  than  that 
of  AmelancJiier  spicata. 

The  Oblong-fr-uited  June-berry,  AmelancJiicr  oligo- 
carpa,  is  a  low,  glabrous  shrub.  The  leaves  are  thin, 
narrowly  oval  or  oblong,  narrowed  at  each  end,  finely 
and  sharply  serrate.  The  flowers  are  borne  in  one  to 
four-flowered  racemes :  the  petals  instead  of  being 
narrowly  oblong  are  obovate  or  oblanceolate.  The 
pomes  are  pear-shaped,  dark  blue  purple  with  a  heavy 
bloom,  from  one-fourth  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
long.  All  of  the  species  are  early  bloomers  and  all 
fruit  sparingly. 


196 


OBLONG-FRUITED   JUNE-BERRY 


Oblong-fruited  June-berry,  Amelancbier  oligocarpa. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long.     Flowers  %'  to  7/i'  across. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

EVERGREEN    THORN.      FIRE    THORN 

Cotoncdster  pyracdntha.     Pyracdntha  coccinea. 

Cotoneaster,  from  cotoneum,  quince,  and  aster,  similar  ;  like 
a  quince.  Pyracantha,  from  pyr,  fire,  and  acanthus,  thorn  ; 
alluding  to  the  bright  red  fruit. 

A  thorny  evergreen  shrub,  three  to  eight  feet  high,  native  to 
southern  Europe  and  western  Asia,  which  about  Philadelphia 
and  Washington  has  escaped  from  cultivation.  Young  branch- 
lets  and  petioles  grayish  pubescent. 

Leaves. — Evergreen,  one  to  two  inches  long,  oval  or  oblanceo- 
late,  narrowed  at  base,  crenulate,  acute  at  apex  ;  when  full 
grown  are  dark  shining  green,  glabrous  or  slightly  pubescent. 

flowers. — May.  Numerous,  small,  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
across,  white,  borne  in  terminal  compound  many  -  flowered 
cymes,  about  an  inch  and  a  half,  across. 

Fruit. — Haw,  small,  scarlet,  depressed  globose,  bitter,  orna- 
mental. 

A  low  evergreen  shrub,  especially  handsome  when 
loaded  with  its  bright  red  haws  ;  these  remain  on  the 
branches  all  winter  if  not  eaten  by  the  birds,  who  are 
really  fond  of  them.  It  is  also  very  pretty  in  spring 
with  its  numerous  corymbs  of  white  flowers.  Its  low 
habit  adapts  it  for  planting  on  rocky  slopes  or  in 
sunny  rockeries  or  for  borders  of  shrubberies;  also 
for  low  ornamental  hedges  or  for  wall-covering,  as  it 
bears  pruning  well  and  is  easily  trained  into  any  de- 
sired shape.  The  plant  thrives  in  almost  any  kind  of 
well  drained  soil,  but  prefers  sunny  positions. 


198 


EVERGREEN   THORN 


Evergreen  Thorn,  Cotoneaster  pyracantba, 

Leaves  i'  to  2'  Ijng. 


APPLE  FAMILY 

JAPAN  QUINCE 

Pyrus  japonica.     Cydbnia  japdnica. 

Cydonia  from  Cydon  in  Crete,  where  the  quince  was  first 
brought  into  notice. 

One  of  the  most  desirable  of  cultivated  shrubs  ;  appearing  in 
many  varieties.  The  type  has  rigid  thorny  stems  intricately 
branched,  and  bright  scarlet  flowers ;  the  variations  occur  more 
in  size  and  color  of  flowers  than  in  habit  of  shrub.  Native  of 
Japan. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three  to  five 
inches  long,  ovate,  ovate-lanceolate  or  oblong,  wedge-shaped  at 
base,  crenately  serrate,  acute  at  apex.  When  full  grown  thick, 
smooth,  leathery,  dark  shining  bluish  green  above,  pale  yellow 
green  beneath.  Margin  thickened  and  slightly  turned  inward. 
Petiole  short,  the  leaf  texture  inclined  to  run  down  upon  it. 
Autumnal  tint  deep  bronze  red.  Stipules  leaf-like,  irregularly 
kidney-shaped,  bilateral,  crenately  serrate ;  found  on  growing 
shoots  in  September. 

Flowers. — In  shape  and  structure  like  apple  blossoms.  In 
color  varying  from  deep  reds  to  white. 

Fruit. — Pome,  full  oval  or  globose,  two  to  two  and  a  half 
inches  long  ;  stein  deeply  sunken  in  fruit.  Olive  green  with 
reddish  cheek,  covered  with  white  dots,  hard,  acid  with  typical 
quince  flavor. 

The  brilliant  bloom  of  the  Japan  Quince  in  the  early 
spring  always  attracts  attention ;  the  closely  packed 
bright  red  blossoms  set  the  bush  aflame,  and  far  away 
in  the  parks  it  fairly  lights  up  the  path.  The  plant 
has  been  known  in  this  country  for  nearly  a  hundred 
years  but  has  not  yet  received  all  the  appreciation 
that  it  deserves. 

To  an  unusual  degree  this  shrub  is  clothed  with  its 
leaves.  The  branching  habit  is  intricate  ;  the  leaves 


JAPAN   QUINCE 


Japan  Quince,  Pyrus  japonica. 

Flowers  i^'  to  t'  across. 


APPLE    FAMILY 

are  always  abundant.  The  leaf  texture  sometimes 
runs  down  the  entire  length  of  the  short  petiole  ;  and 
upon  the  new  shoots,  which  produce  the  strongest  foli- 
age, are  crescent-shaped  stipules,  persistent  and  leaf- 
like.  The  bush  would  be  desirable  even  if  it  never 
bore  a  flower.  The  leaves  of  new  shoots  take  on  a 
reddish  tinge  as  they  come  out  of  the  bud,  and  as 
these  shoots  are  usually  abundant,  in  midsummer 
there  is  often  a  fine  display  of  color.  As  autumn 
comes  on  the  bush  again  flames  from  afar;  this  time 
with  the  deep  bronze  red  of  its  changing  leaves. 

The  plant  fruits  considerably,  one  might  almost  say 
abundantly;  but  this  is  not  very  generally  known  be- 
cause the  fruit  is  so  concealed  by  the  leaves. 


202 


CALYCANTHACE^E— STRAWBERRY- 
SHRUB   FAMILY 

CAROLINA   ALLSPICE.      STRAWBERRY-SHRUB. 
SWEET-SCENTED  SHRUB 

Butneria   florida.      Calycdnt/nts  floridns. 

Butneria  in  honor  of  Butner.  Calycanthns,  from  calyx, 
cup,  and  ant/ius,  flower,  referring  to  the  closed  cup  whicL 
contains  the  pistils. 

A  compact  shrub,  four  to  six  feet  high,  native  to  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains,  and  found  along  the  shady  banks  of  streams. 

Bark. — Dull  brown  ;  branchlets  yellow  brown  at  first ;  swol- 
len at  the  nodes. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  three  to  five  inches  long,  oblong, 
ovate  or  oval,  entire  or  slightly  ruffled,  wedge-shaped  or  rounded 
at  base,  acute  or  acuminate  ;  midrib  depressed  above,  all  the 
veins  prominent  beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  face  to 
face,  bronze  green,  shining,  slightly  hairy  above,  with  dense 
brown  hairs  beneath  ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  green  above, 
pale  yellow  green,  slightly  pubescent  beneath.  Their  autumnal 
tint  is  a  clear  yellow.  Petiole  short,  stout,  grooved. 

flowers. — May  to  July.  Perfect,  reddish  chocolate  brown, 
solitary  and  terminal  on  very  short,  lateral,  leafy  branches. 

Calyx. — Sepals  many,  narrow-oblong,  united  below  into  a  fleshy 
inversely- conical  cup,  with  some  leaf-like  bractlets  growing  from 
it,  chocolate  brown  with  a  reddish  tinge. 

Corolla. — Petals  many,  reddish  chocolate  brown,  thickish,  nar- 
row-oblong, in  many  rows,  inserted  on  the  top  of  the  closed 
calyx-tube ;  similar  to  the  sepals. 

203 


STRAWBERRY-SHRUB    FAMILY 

Stamens. — Numerous,  inserted  just  within  the  petals,  short,  in 
several  rows,  some  of  the  inner  ones  sterile;  anthers  adnate,  in- 
trorse. 

Pistil. — Carpels  several,  enclosed  in  the  calyx-tube,  inserted 
on  its  base  and  inner  face,  resembling  the  rose-hip  in  structure. 

Fruit. — A  large,  drooping,  pear-shaped  receptacle  two  inches 
long  and  one  and  one-fourth  inches  in  diameter,  to  which  the 
bases  of  petals,  sepals  and  bracts  are  adnate,  and  which  encloses 
few  to  many  smooth,  shining  achenes.  September. 

The  Sweet-scented  Shrub  has  been  for  years  a  gar- 
den favorite  because  of  the  strawberry  fragrance  of 
its  flowers;  even  the  stems  and  small  branches  emit  a 
spicy  perfume  when  bruised  or  broken.  The  color  of 
the  flower  is  a  reddish  chocolate  brown,  but  the  tints 
are  unstable  and  the  flower  fades  as  it  gets  older.  Also, 
as  it  ages  the  petals  spread  and  flatten  so  as  to  make  a 
loose  rosette.  The  behavior  of  the  flower  buds  when 
the  warm  spring  days  come  is  most  interesting. 
The  scales  quickly  fall,  leaving  two  tiny  leaves  that 
closely  surround  and  thoroughly  protect  the  little 
brown  ball  of  the  flower ;  and  as  it  increases  in  size 
they  enlarge,  but  they  do  not  give  up  their  protective 
attitude  until  both  are  well  on  toward  maturity. 

Many  lovers  of  flowers  have  cultivated  the  Straw- 
berry-shrub in  their  gardens  ;  have  delighted  in  the 
delicious  fragrance  of  its  blossoms  ;  and  have  wondered 
that  no  fruit  seemed  ever  to  follow.  How  the  plant 
reproduced  itself  was  a  question;  doubtless  in  some 
wonderful  way  which  common  people  knew  nothing 
about.  It  is  true  that  our  common  garden  species 
rarely  fruits  in  domestication ;  but  there  is  another 
species  native  to  the  south  which  fruits  abundantly  ;  in- 
deed, by  so  doing  it  has  won  its  specific  name  Butneria 

204 


STRAWBERRY-SHRUB 


Strawberry-shrub,  Butneria  floiida. 
Leaves  3'  to  5'  long. 


STRAWBERRY-SHRUB    FAMILY 

fertilis.  The  fruit  is  really  very  curious  ;  it  hangs  from 
the  branch  like  a  little  closed  bag  and  contains,  packed 
within  it,  the  smooth  shining  achenes. 

Butneria  florida  was  one  of  the  earliest  American 
shrubs  taken  to  England  and  has  long  been  a  favorite 
there.  It  is  easily  grown  ;  the  best  location  is  one 
somewhat  shaded  ;  and  it  prefers  a  rich  sandy  loam. 


206 


SMOOTH   STRAWBERRY-SHRUB 


Smooth  Strawberry-shrub,  Butiieria  fertilis. 

Fruit  3'  to  4'  long. 


HYDRANGEACE^E— HYDRANGEA  FAMILY 

WILD   HYDRANGEA 

Hydrdngea  arborescens. 

Hydrangea,  of  Greek  derivation,  meaning  water  vessel,  so 
named  from  the  shape  of  the  small  capsule. 

Vigorous,  four  to  ten  feet  high;  found  on  rocky,  river  banks 
in  southern  New  York  and  in  New  Jersey,  very  abundant  in  the 
valley  of  the  Delaware,  ranging  south  to  Florida  and  west  to 
Iowa  and  Missouri.  Species  variable.  Ascends  4,200  feet  in  the 
mountains  of  North  Carolina. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  three  to  six  inches  long,  ovate, 
rounded  or  cordate  or  broadly  wedge-shaped  at  base,  sharply 
dentate,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  are  bright 
green  above,  upper  surface  deeply  corrugated,  all  the  veins  very 
prominent  beneath,  very  reticulate,  glabrous  or  pubescent. 

Flowers. — -June,  July.  Both  fertile  and  sterile,  borne  together 
in  terminal  corymbose  clusters.  Exterior  flowers  of  the  clusters 
often  without  petals,  stamens  or  pistils,  but  with  enlarged  and 
very  conspicuous  calyx-lobes  ;  sometimes  these  sterile  flowers  are 
very  abundant ;  sometimes  there  are  none.  Fertile  flowers  are 
small. 

Calyx. — Tube  obconic,  adnate  to  the  ovary,  four  to  five- 
toothed,  teeth  minute,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  four  or  five,  valvate  in  bud,  pinkish  cream. 

Stamens. — Eight  to  ten,  inserted  on  the  disk;  filaments 
threadlike,  exserted  ;  anthers  pink  ;  pollen  abundant. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two  to  four-celled  ;  styles  two  to  four ; 
ovules  many. 

Fruit. — Capsule  small,  two-celled,  ribbed,  many-seeded. 

208 


WILD    HYDRANGEA 


Wild  Hydrangea,  Hydrangea  arborescent 

Leaves  3'  to  (/  long.     Flower  clusters  3'  to  4'  across. 


HYDRANGEA   FAMILY 

The  general  effect  of  our  northern  Hydrangea  in 
bloom  is  a  group  of  strong  erect  stems,  each  crowned 
by  a  pale,  salmon  pink  cluster,  made  up  of  a  multitude 
of  tiny  blossoms  each  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch 
across.  The  stamens  are  exserted,  and  there  are  so 
many  of  them  that  in  the  flower  cluster  the  stamens 
are  much  more  prominent  than  the  petals.  The  fra- 
grance is  pleasant,  possibly  a  trifle  heavy.  The  blos- 
soms open  irregularly,  so  that  for  some  time  any 
cluster  will  have  a  goodly  number  of  buds  mingled 
with  the  open  flowers.  While  the  flower  cluster  does 
not  reach  the  regulation  standard  of  an  hydrangea,  a 
standard  based  upon  the  abnormal  development  of 
sterile  flowers  in  our  cultivated  species,  nevertheless  it 
does  come  up  to  no  mean -measure  of  beauty.  Now 
and  then  a  cluster  shows  a  few  marginal  sterile  flow- 
ers after  the  fashion  of  Viburnum  opulus,  but  it  rarely 
wastes  its  vitality  in  that  way  ;  its  fragrance  and  pollen 
are  ample  resources  to  attract  its  insect  friends. 

Our  favorite,  hardy,  garden  Hydrangea  is  Hydrangea 
paniculata  grandi flora,  a  species  developed  by  the 
Japanese  from  their  wild  form,  Hydrangea  paniculata. 
It  is,  indeed,  a  superb  plant.  The  panicles  are  of  enor- 
mous size  and  of  great  beauty  ;  in  the  best  known  form 
all  the  flowers  are  sterile.  They  run  through  a  charm- 
ing range  of  color:  pale  green,  cream  white,  pale  pink 
and  lastly  dull  red.  As  this  magnificent  bloom  appears 
in  August  and  does  not  complete  its  color  scheme 
until  October,  then  remains  upon  the  branches  until 
beaten  off  by  the  storms  of  winter,  there  are  definite 
and  sufficient  reasons  for  the  popularity  of  the  bush. 

In  southern  Japan  the  shrub  becomes  a  tree  twenty- 

210 


HARDY    HYDRANGEA 


Hardy  Hydrangea,  Hydrangea  paniculata  grandiflora. 


HYDRANGEA   FAMILY 

five  to  thirty  feet  high,  with  stout  stems  and  pendulous 
branches.  The  following  notes  from  the  Arnold  Ar- 
boretum give  a  clear  and  detailed  account  of  the  plant 
as  it  now  appears  in  its  several  forms : 

"  The  first  is  the  plant  commonly  known  as  Hy- 
drangea paniculata  grandiflora,  with  enormous  panicles 
of  sterile  flowers.  The  bloom  continues  from  late 
August  until  winter. 

"  The  second  appears  to  be  tne  wild  form  of  the  first 
with  much  smaller  panicles,  appearing  at  the  same 
time,  only  a  few  sterile  flowers  being  scattered  among 
the  fertile  flowers. 

"  The  third  is  intermediate  between  these  two  and 
flowering  at  the  same  time,  the  panicle  being  nearly  as 
large  as  that  of  the  first  and  more  showy  than  that  of 
the  second,  by  the  presence  of  a  larger  number  of  large 
sterile  flowers.  This  as  a  garden  plant  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  desirable  of  the  whole  group. 

"The  fourth  is  similar  to  the  second,  from  which  it 
differs  only  in  its  time  of  flowering,  which  is  during 
the  first  half  of  July  or  about  six  weeks  earlier." 

GARDEN  SYRINGA.   MOCK  ORANGE 

Philadelphus  coronarius. 

Philadelphus  is  an  ancient  name  applied  to  this  genus  by 
Linnaeus  for  no  obvious  reason. 

A  beautiful  shrub,  native  to  central  Europe,  which  is  exten- 
sively cultivated  and  in  some  places  has  escaped  from  the  gardens. 
Usually  from  six  to  twelve  feet  high. 

Stems. — Young  shoots  pale  golden  brown,  older  twigs  darker 
brown. 

212 


SYRINGA 


Flowering  Branch  of  Syringa,  Pbiladelpbus  coronarins. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long.     Flowers  iJ4'  to  ij£'  across. 


HYDRANGEA    FAMILY 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  two  to  four  inches  long,  oval  or 
elliptic,  rounded  or  narrowed  at  base,  sparingly  denticulate, 
acute  or  acuminate  at  apex,  three-nerved,  veins  depressed  above, 
prominent  below.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  pale  gray  green, 
shining,  densely  covered  with  white  hairs  on  the  under  surface ; 
when  full  grown  are  deep  dull  green  above,  paler  beneath.  In 
autumn  they  darken  purplish  or  fall  with  no  change  of  color. 
Petiole  short,  grooved. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  cream-white,  very  fragrant, 
numerous,  racemose  at  the  end  of  the  branches  and  twigs,  one 
and  one-eighth  to  one  and  one-half  inches  across. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  top-shaped,  coherent  with  the  ovary,  four- 
lobed  ;  lobes  ovate,  acute,  longer  than  the  tube,  spreading,  per- 
sistent, valvate  in  bud. 

Corolla. — Petals  four  or  five,  rounded  or  obovate,  white,  con- 
volute in  bud. 

Stamens. — Twenty  to  forty  inserted  on  the  disk ;  filaments 
white;  anthers  pale  yellow. 

Pistil.— Qva.vy  inferior,  four-celled  ;  style  four-cleft ;  stigmas 
oblong. 

Fruit. — A  four-valved  capsule,  many-seeded,  surrounded  by 
the  persistent  calyx  and  crowned  by  the  persistent  style.  Au- 
gust, September. 

The  Syringa  has  merits.  It  withstands  the  hard 
conditions  of  city  life ;  its  blooming  season  is  ex- 
tended ;  the  flowers  are  beautiful  and  deliriously  fra- 
grant ;  it  holds  its  leaves  late  into  the  autumn.  Each 
flower  as  it  opens  is  a  bell,  maturing  it  becomes  a 
star. 

The  blooming  season  is  that  of  the  roses, — together 
they  are  the  last  of  the  procession  of  spring  flowers  ; 
when  they  have  cast  their  petals  to  the  wind,  summer 
has  come.  Many  shrubs  fulfil  their  flowering  duty  and 
relapse  into  green  insignificance  to  emerge  again  when 
autumn  clothes  them  in  gold  and  scarlet.  But  after 
June  is  past  the  Syringa  charms  no  more  ;  its  fruit  is 

214 


LARGE-FLOWERED    SYRINGA 


Large-flowered  Syringa,  Philadelphia  grandiflorus.    Garden  Form. 

Flowers  i!  to  3'  across. 


HYDRANGEA   FAMILY 

inconspicuous;  its  leaves  cling-  late  and  fall  with  little 
change  of  color. 

The  books  give  southern  Europe  as  the  native  land 
of  the  plant,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  has  been  in  cul- 
tivation so  long  that  its  origin  is  unknown.  In  north- 
ern Europe,  it  was  first  cultivated  in  Belgium,  then 
introduced  into  England  about  the  time  of  Gerard, 
1597,  who  had  plants  of  it  growing  in  his  garden,  "in 
the  suburb  of  Holborne  in  verie  great  plentie."  It  will 
grow  in  almost  any  location  and  is  easily  propagated 
by  division  of  the  root. 

There  is  considerable  confusion  with  regard  to  the 
two  southern  species,  PJiiladelpJms  inodorus  and  PJiila- 
delplius  grandiflorus.  They  seem  to  have  changed 
names  from  time  to  time;  and  the  individuals  in  our 
northern  gardens  appearing  under  these  names  are 
probably  hybrids.  In  any  case,  there  is  now  in  culti- 
vation a  PJiiladelpJius  producing  large  scentless  flowers 
—blooming  a  little  after  PJiiladclpJius  coronarius — which 
either  is  a  native  species  or  was  derived  from  one. 


216 


SAXIFRAGACE.E— SAXIFRAGE   FAMILY 

THE  DEUTZIAS 

No  Deutzia  is  found  native  within  the  borders  of  the 
United  States  ;  the  plants  are  principally  Asiatic ;  of 
the  sixteen  species  now  known,  one  is  found  in  Mexico, 
all  the  others  in  Asia.  Their  pretty  name  was  given 
them  by  Thunberg  in  honor  of  his  friend  and  patron 
Johann  Van  der  Deutz.  Nearly  all  are  hardy  shrubs, 
with  rough  bark,  axillary  flowers  borne  in  racemes  or 
corymbs,  the  leaves  mostly  ovate,  acuminate,  serrate, 
and  more  or  less  rough.  Though  hardy,  some  of 
them  are  easily  forced  under  glass,  by  which  means 
they  are  made  to  produce  beautiful  flowers  at  any 
time  of  the  year,  and  in  great  abundance. 

Deutzia  gracilis,  Bridal  Wreath,  is  one  of  the  small- 
est of  the  genus  and  possibly  the  best  known.  It  is 
a  low  growing  shrub,  fairly  burdened  in  May  with 
masses  of  the  most  lovely,  pure  white  flowers.  One 
minor  characteristic  adds  to  their  beauty,  the  yellow 
stamens  are  borne  upon  white  filaments.  Gardeners 
highly  prize  this  species,  as  it  can  be  easily  forced, 
and  this  little  white  bush  is  always  one  of  the  attrac- 
tive objects  among  Easter  decorations. 

Deutzia  scabra  has  long  been  in  cultivation  and  from 
it  several  favorite  varieties  have  been  produced.  The 

217 


SAXIFRAGE    FAMILY 


Deutzia,  Detitpa  gracilis. 


DEUTZIA 


Deutzia,  Dentp'a  scabra. 


SAXIFRAGE    FAMILY 

leaves  of  the  type  are  ovate  to  ovate-lanceolate,  the 
panicles  erect,  two  to  four  inches  long,  and  the  indi- 
vidual flowers  white  or  tinged  with  pink. 

This  is  cultivated  in  different  forms;  Deutzia  candi- 
dissima,  a  variety  of  pure  white  flowers;  the  Pride  of 
Rochester,  which  bears  ver}^  large  double  white  flow- 
ers;  Deutzia  purpurea  plena,  with  double  flowers,  white 
within  and  purplish,  without.  There  are  other  species 
and  many  varieties;  all  are  desirable,  blooming,  as  sc 
many  of  them  do,  in  June  and  July.  There  are  vari 
eties  with  yellow  and  with  variegated  leaves. 


220 


ITEACE/E— VIRGINIA   WILLOW   FAMILY 

ITEA.  VIRGINIA  WILLOW 
jftea  virginica, 

Itea,  the  Greek  name  for  willow  ;  because  the  leaves  of  this 
plant  resemble  those  of  the  willow. 

A  stalwart  shrub,  four  to  ten  feet  high,  growing  in  wet  places  ; 
twigs  and  inflorescence  downy.  Ranges  from  the  pine- barrens 
of  New  Jersey  to  Florida,  and  west  to  Missouri  and  Louisiana. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  three  inches  long,  nar- 
rowly oval  or  oblanceolate,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  finely  serrate, 
acute  or  acuminate  at  apex ;  when  full  grown,  bright  green, 
smooth  above,  slightly  hairy  beneath  ;  midvein  and  primary 
veins  depressed  above,  prominent  beneath.  Autumnal  tints  scar- 
let and  crimson. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  white,  borne  in  dense  termi- 
nal racemes,  two  to  six  inches  long.  Pedicels  short,  downy. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  bell-shaped,  five-lobed,  base  adherent  to 
the  ovary. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  linear,  erect  or  slightly  spreading, 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  the  points  inflexed,  inserted  on  the 
disk  that  lines  the  calyx. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  with  the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one,  two-celled  ;  style  slender ;  stigma  two- 
grooved  ;  ovules  many. 

Fruit. — Capsule  two-grooved,  oblong,  slender,  downy,  many- 
seeded,  tipped  with  the  two-parted  style. 

Itca  Virginica  is  coming  into  cultivation  in  parks 
and  gardens.  The  flowers  are  white,  borne  in  terminal 

aai 


VIRGINIA   WILLOW    FAMILY 


Itea,  Itea  virginica. 

Leaves  \>  to  3'  long.     Racemes  2'  to  6'  long 


ITEA 

racemes  ;  they  are  small,  but  sufficiently  abundant  to 
make  the  bush  very  attractive  during  the  flowering 
season. 

The  leaves  color  early ;  they  change  from  green  to 
scarlet  and  crimson  in  midsummer  and  glow  in  this 
gorgeous  panoply  until  late  autumn.  Even  after  the 
leaves  of  other  shrubs  have  fallen  they  still  cling  to  the 
stems,  a  body  of  solid  crimson.  Five  species  belong  to 
the  genus,  but  this  is  the  only  one  native  to  North 
America. 


GROSSULARIACE.E— GOOSEBERRY 
FAMILY 

PRICKLY  WILD  GOOSEBERRY.  DOGBERRY 

Rlbes  cyndsbati. 

Ribes,  of  uncertain  origin,  the  name  of  a  plant  supposed 
by  the  older  botanists  to  be  the  Gooseberry  ;  possibly  from 
riebs,  a  German  popular  name  for  the  currant. 

A  fine  bush,  three  to  four  feet  high,  found  in  rocky  woods 
from  New  Brunswick  to  North  Carolina  and  west  to  Manitoba 
and  Missouri.  Thrives  in  all  soils  and  exposures.  Stems  un- 
armed or  prickly. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  often  fascicled,  three  to  five-lobed,  nearly 
orbicular,  one  to  two  inches  broad,  heart-shaped  at  base,  irregu- 
larly serrate  or  crenate;  palmately  veined,  primary  and  second- 
ary veins  depressed  above,  very  prominent  beneath.  They  come 
out  in  clusters  of  three  or  four  from  a  single  bud  ;  plicate,  bright 
green,  densely  covered  with  white  hairs  ;  when  full  grown  are 
bright  green  above,  paler  green  beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn 
an  orange,  slightly  touched  with  red,  or  drop  with  little  change. 
Petioles  slender,  downy  with  glandular  hairs.  A  sharp,  slender, 
reddish  brown  spine  is  usually  found  just  below  the  leaf  cluster  ; 
sometimes  two  or  three  are  together,  sometimes  none.  Fre- 
quently spines  are  scattered  along  the  stem  ;  prickles  are  few  or 
weak  or  none. 

flowers. — April  to  June.  Perfect,  produced  from  the  same 
bud  as  the  cluster  of  leaves,  solitary,  or  two  to  three  in  a  group, 
bell-shaped,  green,  small,  rich  in  nectar  ;  peduncles  slender, 
pubescent. 

324 


WILD   GOOSEBERRY 


Wild  Gooseberry,  Ribes  cvnosbati. 

Leaves   i'  to  2'  broad. 


GOOSEBERRY   FAMILY 

Calyx. — Coherent  with  the  ovary  ;  tube  bell-shaped,  slightly 
contracted  at  mouth,  five-lobed  ;  lobes  roundish,  shorter  than 
the  tube,  green  sometimes  touched  with  red ;  when  mature  lobes 
recurve  against  the  tube. 

Petals. — Five,  minute,  green,  obscurely  three-lobed,  obovate, 
borne  on  the  calyx-tube,  alternate  with  the  calyx-lobes. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  in  the  calyx-tube,  slightly  included, 
opposite  the  calyx-lobes ;  filaments  and  anthers  green,  converg- 
ing to  the  stigma. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one-celled,  adnate  to  calyx  ;  style  relatively 
large,  undivided,  hairy  at  base  ;  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Berry,  globose,  several  -  seeded,  brownish  purple, 
prickly,  rarely  smooth,  one-half  an  inch  in  diameter,  crowned 
with  the  remains  of  the  calyx  ;  of  a  pleasant  flavor.  August. 

The  Prickly  Wild  Gooseberry  is  a  common  under- 
shrub  in  northern  woods.  It  reaches  the  height  of 
four  feet  and  defends  itself  from  man  and  beast  by 
the  many  prickles  on  the  lower  part  of  the  stems. 
Sometimes,  however,  the  stem  is  entirely  smooth  save 
for  the  spines  at  the  base  of  the  leaves.  The  flowers 
are  little  green  bells,  rich  in  nectar,  borne  on  slen- 
der one  to  three-flowered  peduncles.  The  fruit  is  a 
brownish  red  berry,  covered  with  prickles  like  a  bur, 
though  occasionally  smooth.  Reports  from  the  Ar- 
nold Arboretum  state  that  seedlings  from  the  same 
plant  may  produce  either  smooth  or  prickly  fruit. 
The  berries  when  mature  are  sweet  and  pleasant,  but 
the  prickles  are  often  very  sharp.  This  is  the  com- 
monest wild  gooseberry  east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 


226 


EASTERN   WILD   GOOSEBERRY 


Eastern  Wild  Gooseberry,  Ribes  rotitndtfolintn. 

Fruit  yj  to  %'  in  diameter. 


GOOSEBERRY    FAMILY 

GARDEN   GOOSEBERRY.     EUROPEAN   GOOSEBERRY 
Kibes  iiva-crispa.     Kibes  grossularia. 

Rigid,  stocky,  of  thick  branches,  the  fruiting  ones  without 
prickles ;  the  spines  are  mostly  triple,  heavy  and  thick  at  the 
base,  the  central  one  three-eighths  to  one-half  an  inch  long. 

Leaves. — Orbicular,  three  to  five-lobed,  thick  and  very  glossy, 
pubescent ;  petioles  sometimes  sparsely  set  with  glandular-tipped 
hairs. 

Flowers. — Peduncles  short,  one  to  two-flowered,  pubescent  or 
glandular.  Calyx  very  pubescent,  greenish  ;  tube  broad,  bell- 
shaped  ;  lobes  broadly  ovate,  thickish,  reflexed,  petaloid.  Petals 
inserted  on  the  calyx-tube,  obovate,  reaching  to  the  base  of  the 
anthers.  Stamens  shorter  than  the  calyx-lobes.  Ovary  pubes- 
cent or  glandular  ;  style  commonly  two-cleft,  hairy  at  base. 

Fruil. — Berry,  oval,  large,  yellowish  green  or  red,  minutely 
but  roughly  pubescent,  often  with  scattered  prickles  or  glandu- 
lar tipped  hairs. 

This  gooseberry  is  native  to  Europe,  northern  Af- 
rica and  western  Asia.  It  is  the  parent  of  the  Eng- 
lish gooseberries,  and  is  widely  cultivated  throughout 
Europe  ;  from  it  many  varieties  have  been  produced. 

ROUND-LEAVED    GOOSEBERRY 

Kibes  rotund  if blinm. 

Low  shrub,  branches  commonly  straight,  with  light  colored 
bark  ;  thorns  mostly  single,  but  very  short,  gray  like  the  outer 
bark.  Ranges  from  western  Massachusetts  and  New  York  south- 
ward to  North  Carolina  along  the  Alleghanies. 

Leaves. — Orbicular,  palmately  veined,  three  to  five-lobed, 
wedge-shaped  at  base,  glabrous  or  slightly  downy,  ciliate  on 
margin  and  veins  ;  vernation  plicate. 

228 


NORTHERN    GOOSEBERRY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  greenish  purple,  borne  on  two 
to  three-flowered  short  peduncles.  Calyx-lobes  narrow  or  oblong, 
spatulate,  greenish  or  dull  purplish,  seldom  reflexed  ;  petals  obo- 
vate,  small ;  stamens  longer  than  the  calyx-lobes  ;  style  two- 
cleft,  downy. 

Fruit. — Small,  several-seeded,  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  smooth,  purplish,  of  an  agreeable  flavor.  July,  August. 

NORTHERN   GOOSEBERRY.     HAWTHORN   GOOSE- 
BERRY 

Rlbes  oxyacant  holdes. 

Low  shrub,  two  to  four  feet  high,  branches  slender,  reclined, 
often  crooked,  reddish  brown,  commonly  smooth,  but  sometimes 
with  scattered  prickles  ;  spines  single  or  triple,  rather  slender 
and  sharp,  sometimes  wanting  ;  found  in  wet  woods  and  low 
grounds.  Ranges  from  Labrador  and  Newfoundland  to  the 
North  West  Territory  and  south  to  New  Jersey  and  Nebraska. 

Leaves. — Solitary  or  in  fascicles,  alternate,  simple,  palmately 
veined,  orbicular,  wedge-shaped  or  heart-shaped  at  base,  deeply 
three  to  five-lobed  ;  lobes  incised  and  coarsely  toothed,  finely 
pubescent  above  and  beneath,  but  commonly  glossy  when  grow- 
ing ;  vernation  plicate. 

Flowers. — May  to  July.  Small,  perfect,  greenish  white  or 
dull  purplish,  bell-like ;  peduncles  short,  one  to  two-flowered. 

Calyx. — Greenish  white ;  tube  bell-like,  coherent  with  the 
ovary,  five-lobed  ;  lobes  oblong  or  obovate,  thin  and  petaloid, 
when  mature  recurved. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  dull  purplish,  broadly  ovate  or  spatulate, 
inserted  on  the  calyx-tube,  alternate  with  the  sepals,  reaching 
half  way  to  the  anthers. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  calyx-tube,  slightly  included. 

Pistil. — Ovary  coherent  with  calyx,  one-celled,  style  single  or 
slightly  two-cleft,  pubescent  below,  slightly  longer  than  the 
stamens. 

Fruit. — Round,  several -seeded,  perfectly  smooth,  with  a  deli- 
cate bloom,  one-half  inch  in  diameter,  yellowish  green  or  red- 
dish when  ripe,  of  an  agreeable  flavor.  July,  August. 

229 


GOOSEBERRY   FAMILY 


Northern  Gooseberry,  Ribes  oxyacantboides. 


FETID   CURRANT 


SWAMP   GOOSEBERRY 
Rlbes  laciistre. 

Upright,  the  twigs  and  branches  densely  bristly,  with  straight 
slender  prickles;  spines  weak,  single,  or  several  in  a  whorl,  es- 
pecially on  young  growth.  In  swamps  and  cold,  wet  woods. 
Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Pennsylvania,  west  across  the 
continent. 

Leaves. — Nearly  orbicular,  heart-shaped  at  base,  thin,  pubes- 
cent along  the  veins  beneath,  deeply  five  to  seven-lobed,  one 
to  two  inches  wide  ;  lobes  incised-dentate,  acutish  ;  vernation 
plicate. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Small,  perfect,  greenish,  borne  in  a 
nodding  many-flowered  raceme.  Pedicels  short,  bracted  at  the 
base.  Calyx  greenish  white,  saucer-shaped,  glandular-bristly  ; 
the  lobes  short,  broad,  and  spreading.  Petals  fan-shaped,  red- 
dish, nearly  as  long  as  the  calyx-lobes.  Stamens  short ;  anthers 
very  short,  each  half-divided.  Pistil  cleft  at  summit ;  ovary 
glandular-hairy. 

Fruit. — Berry,  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  reddish, 
covered  with  weak  prickles,  unpleasant.  July,  August. 


FETID   CURRANT.     PROSTRATE   CURRANT 
Kibes  prostriitum. 

A  shrub  with  recumbent  or  prostrate  stems,  trailing  and  root- 
ing ;  branches  erect,  thornless  and  without  prickles ;  found  in 
cold,  damp  woods.  Ranges  from  Labrador,  throughout  New 
England  and  along  the  mountains  to  North  Carolina,  and  west- 
ward to  the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  also  in  northeastern  Asia  and  upon 
the  islands  of  Japan. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  orbicular,  two  to  three  inches  wide,  cor- 
date at  base,  palmately  veined,  five  to  seven-lobed  ;  lobes  ovate, 
acute,  dentate-serrate  ;  vernation  plicate.  Petioles  slender,  one 
to  three  inches  long,  base  dilated. 

231 


GOOSEBERRY   FAMILY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Small,  perfect,  greenish,  bell-shaped, 
borne  in  erect,  slender  racemes  which  appear  from  the  same  buds 
as  the  leaves.  Pedicels  short,  glandular,  bracted  at  base. 

Calyx. — Coherent  with  the  ovary,  broad,  bell-shaped,  five- 
lobed  ;  lobes  obovate  or  roundish,  greenish  white  or  purplish. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  small,  spatulate  or  fan-shaped,  greenish 
purple,  inserted  on  the  throat  of  the  calyx. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  throat  of  the  calyx,  alternate 
with  the  petals,  short;  anthers  often  purple. 

Pistil. — Ovary  coherent  with  the  calyx,  one-celled  ;  style  two- 
cleft.  Ovary,  peduncle  and  pedicels  covered  with  glandular- 
tipped  hairs. 

Fruit. — Small,  pale  red  berry,  glandular,  bristly. 

This  is  one  of  the  intercontinental  plants,  found  both 
in  America  and  Asia.  It  may  be  recognized  by  its 
long,  prostrate,  trailing  stems,  its  deeply  heart-shaped 
leaves,  its  small  greenish  flowers  borne  in  erect  ra- 
cemes, and  its  pale  red  currants,  bristly  glandular. 
Both  plant  and  fruit  emit  a  disagreeable  odor  when 
bruised.  It  does  not  take  kindly  to  cultivation ;  it 
loves  the  cold,  damp  woods  and 
languishes  in  warmth  and  sun- 
shine. 

RED   CURRANT 

Ribes  rubrunt. 

The  Red  Currant  of  our  gardens 
is  undoubtedly  of  European  origin 
and  has  been  modified  by  cultiva- 

Red  Currant,   Kibes  rubrum.  J 

tion  ;  nevertheless  in  essentials  it 
differs  very  slightly  from  our  own  wild  form.  The 
parent  bush  was  unquestionably  an  inhabitant  of  cool, 
moist,  shady  northern  haunts,  and  to-day  the  self-same 

232 


WILD    BLACK   CURRANT 

bush  is  found  in  Europe,  Asia  and  America.  With  us 
Ribes  rubrum  inhabits  a  belt  extending  across  the  con- 
tinent from  Labrador  to  Alaska,  and  southward  to 
New  Jersey,  Indiana  and  Minnesota.  In  New  England 
and  the  Middle  States,  however,  the  wild  currant  bush 
by  the  roadside  is  much  more  likely  to  be  an  escape 
from  the  gardens  than  a  direct  member  of  the  ancient 
line. 

WILD   BLACK   CURRANT 

Ribes  fldt  idnm.     Rides  americanum. 

Erect,  three  to  five  feet  high.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to 
Manitoba,  and  southward  to  Kentucky,  Iowa  and  Nebraska. 

Leaves. — Alternate  or  clustered,  three  to  five-lobed,  nearly  or- 
bicular, two  to  three  and  one-half  inches  wide,  palmately  veined, 
heart-shaped  at  base,  glabrous  above,  downy  and  resinous-dotted 
beneath  ;  lobes  coarsely  dentate-serrate,  depressed  above,  ridged 
below.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  plicate,  pale  green  and 
downy;  when  full  grown  are  bright  green  above,  paler  beneath. 
In  autumn  they  take  on  a  deep  bronze,  or  fall  with  little  change 
of  color. 

Floivers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  greenish  white  or  yellow, 
bell-shaped,  three-eighths  to  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long,  borne 
in  pendulous,  loosely -flowered,  downy  racemes,  which  appear 
from  the  same  buds  as  the  leaves. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  bell-shaped,  coherent  with  the  ovary, 
border  four  to  five-lobed  ;  lobes  short,  rounded,  petaloid,  green- 
ish white. 

Corolla. — Petals  four  to  five,  inserted  on  the  throat  of  the 
calyx,  greenish  white. 

Stamens. — Four  to  five,  inserted  on  the  throat  of  the  calyx, 
alternate  with  the  petals,  included. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  one-celled  ;  styles  two. 

Fruit. — Berry,  globose-ovoid,  black,  smooth,  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  ;  crowned  with  the  remnant  of  a  calyx. 

233 


GOOSEBERRY    FAMILY 


Wild  Black  Currant,  Ribes  floriditm. 

Leaves  2'  to  3%'  broad. 


GOLDEN   CURRANT 

This  species  is  rarely  cultivated.  In  general  ap- 
pearance, and  in  flavor  of  fruit  it  resembles  the  Black 
Currant,  Ribcs  nigruin,  of  the  garden.  It  forms  a 
graceful  spreading  bush,  with  luxuriant  foliage  and 
long,  drooping  racemes  both  of  flowers  and  of  fruit. 

GOLDEN    CURRANT.      BUFFALO    OR    MISSOURI 
CURRANT 

Rlbes  aureum. 

A  bush  of  long,  slender,  upright  or  curving  stems,  growing 
along  streams.  Ranges  from  Minnesota  to  Missouri  and  Texas, 
westward  to  Oregon  and  California.  Common  in  cultivation. 

Leaves. — Alternate  or  tufted,  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches 
long,  simple,  palmately  veined,  three  to  five-lobed,  often  broader 
than  long,  wedge-shaped  or  heart-shaped,  or  rounded  at  base; 
lobes  rounded,  toothed  or  entire  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  con- 
spicuous. They  come  out  of  the  bud  convolute,  pale  green,  downy 
and  shining;  when  full  grown  are  bright  yellow  green  above,  paler 
green  beneath.  Leaves  of  bearing  shoots  are  commonly  three 
lobed  ;  lobes  often  short,  broad,  and  entire.  The  autumnal  tint 
is  yellow  dashed  with  red,  and  they  change  and  drop  compara- 
tively early. 

/&aw/y.T- April,  May.  Perfect,  yellow,  cylindrical,  borne  in 
short,  loose,  leafy-bracted  racemes.  Fragrant,  charged  with 
nectar. 

Calyx. — Coherent  with  the  ovary  ;  bright  yellow,  smooth  ; 
tube  cylindric,  one-half  to  an  inch  long,  with  five,  spreading,  re- 
curved lobes. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  small,  yellow  with  pink  tips,  inserted  on 
the  throat  of  the  calyx. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  calyx  throat  and  alternate  with 
the  petals,  slightly  exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  one-celled  ;  style  long  and  slender,  ex- 
serted ;  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Globose  berry,  black,  sometimes  yellowish  black, 
glabrous,  shining,  crowned  with  the  remnant  of  the  calyx,  in- 
sipid. August. 

235 


GOOSEBERRY   FAMILY 

This  tall,  vigorous,  upright  bush,  found  in  unnum- 
bered dooryards,  is  most  attractive  in  early  spring. 
The  flowers  and  leaves  start  together,  but  the  flowers 
get  ahead,  and  the  wand-like  branches  are  thickly 
clothed  with  the  flower  clusters  before  the  leaves  make 
much  headway.  Its  flame  of  yellow  is  due  to  the 
brilliant  calyx ;  the  tiny  petals  of  the  corolla  are  not 
very  much  in  evidence. 

The  plant  is  graceful  and  hardy,  sprouting  freely 
from  the  roots.  The  leaves  are  inclined  to  drop  early, 
which  is  its  only  defect  as  an  ornamental  plant. 


236 


GOLDEN   CURRANT 


Golden  Currant,  Ribes  aiiieum. 

Flowers  %'  to  $i'  long. 


HAMAMELIDACE^E— WITCH   HAZEL 
FAMILY 

WITCH    HAZEL 
Hamamelis  virginiana. 

Hamamelis  is  an  ancient  name  with  no  obvious  application 
to  this  plant.  Witch  is  a  modern  spelling  of  the  Saxon  wick 
or  wych.  The  meaning  of  the  word  in  this  connection  is 
doubtful ;  it  is  good  opinion,  however,  that  it  means  pendu- 
lous, drooping ;  two  trees  are  so  named, — wych  elm  and 
wych  hazel. 

Through  the  gray  and  sombre  wood, 

Against  the  dusk  of  fir  and  pine, 
Last  of  their  floral  sisterhood, 

The  hazel's  yellow  blossoms  shine. 

— JOHN  G.  WHITTIEK. 

Amid  the  wild-wood  pomp  and  circumstance  of  our 
northern  autumn  there  is  no  more  remarkable  object 
than  the  Witch  Hazel,  which  at  the  very  moment  of 
parting  with  its  leaves  breaks  forth  into  an  abundant 
bloom  that  clusters  thickly  about  the  stems  and  gives 
to  November  the  aspect  of  April.  The  flower  buds 
appear  in  August,  they  expand  rarely  in  September^ 
normally  in  October  and  November;  and  the  flowers 
appear  three  or  four  together  at  the  end  of  a  short, 
brown,  downy  pedicel  in  the  axil  of  a  falling  or  fallen 
leaf.  The  flower  is  in  fours;  four  lobes  to  the  calyx; 
four  long,  crumpled,  yellow  petals;  four  fertile  stamens 

238 


WITCH    HAZEL 


Witch  Hazel,  Hamamelis  vfrgim'ana. 

Leaves  4'  to  6'  long. 


WITCH    HAZEL    FAMILY 

alternating  with  four  scale-like,  imperfect  ones  ;  only 
the  pistil  varies  from  the  four-fold  plan  ;  the  ovary  is 
two-celled  and  two-styled.  This  late  flowering  of  the 
plant  seems  an  excess  of  zeal,  for  no  growth  takes  place 
in  the  ovary  until  the  following  spring,  and  the  ripen- 
ing period  is  not  forwarded  thereby.  The  tiny  last 
year's  nuts  slowly  ripen  as  this  year's  flowers  bloom, 
and  are  finally  sent  out  from  their  woody  pods  with  a 
projectile  force  which  carries  them  several  yards. 

The  Witch  Hazel  is  to  be  looked  for  on  the  sides  of 
deep  ravines  and  at  the  edges  of  woodlands  through- 
out our  range. 


240 


CORNACE^E— DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

DOGWOOD.     CORNEL 
C6rnus. 

Cornus,  horn,  from  cornu,  referring  to  the  toughness  of  the 
wood. 

The  Cornels  with  showy  floral  leaves  are  confined  to  the  New  World,  the 
group  being  represented  by  the  two  flowering  Dogwood  trees,  one  in  the 
east  and  the  other  in  the  west ;  also  by  the  pretty  little  herbaceous  Bunch- 
berry,  a  familiar  flower  of  our  northern  woods,  and  by  another  species  re- 
sembling the  last,  a  Bunch-berry  native  to  Alaska  and  the  far  northern  parts 
of  the  continent.  These  are  all  that  have  come  down  to  us  from  a  very  pe- 
culiar group  of  plants,  which  in  earlier  times  were  more  widely  scattered 
over  the  earth's  surface  than  they  are  now.  For  the  ancestors  of  our  Flow- 
ering Dogwood  occurred  in  Europe,  where,  however,  their  descendants  have 
been  unable  to  obtain  a  foothold. 

— Garden  and  Forest. 

The  Dogwood  makes  a  very  attractive  family  group 
which  consists  of  herbs,  shrubs  and  trees.  The  trees 
are  small  and  sometimes  play  at  being  shrubs  ;  the 
shrubs  now  and  then  try  to  be  trees  ;  and  the  herbs 
are  woody  at  base  and  apparently  hope  some  day  to 
be  shrubs. 

The  highest  and  the  lowest  in  the  family  produce 
flowers  and  fruit  that  are  very  similar.  Cornus  florida, 
the  tree,  and  Cornus  canadcnsis,  the  herb,  wrap  around 
their  clusters  of  small  flowers  the  superb  white  involu- 

241 


DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

ere  which  makes  the  Dogwood  tree  the  glory  of  the 
woods  in  spring-time,  and  the  Bunch-berry  the  prize 
of  the  seeker.  In  the  case  of  Cornus  florida  the  flowers 
usually  appear  on  the  bare  branches,  but  sometimes 
under  favoring  conditions  the  great  white  involucres 
linger  until  the  leaves  are  nearly  grown ;  but  they 
never  outstay  their  welcome,  for  few  sights  are  pret- 
tier than  a  Dogwood  tree  bearing  both  leaves  and 
flowers. 

The  other  tree,  Cornus  alternifolia,  and  all  the  shrubs 
bear  their  flowers  in  flat  cymose  clusters,  one  to  three 
inches  across.     The  individual  flower  is  a  four-pointed 
star   with    four   exserted    stamens.     The 
only    flowering    shrubs    with    which    the 
dogwoods  could  be  confused  are  the  vi- 
burnums, but  their  flower  is  a  star  with 
five  rounded  divisions  and  five  stamens. 
If  it  is  remembered  that  the  dogwoods 
are  aiwayS  jn   fours  and   the  viburnums 

larged.  J 

always  in  fives,  the  difficulty  is  removed. 

The  fruits  of  the  family  come  in  assorted  colors  ; 
they  range  through  bright  scarlet,  dark  blue,  pale  steel 
blue,  bluish  white  and  pure  white.  In  flavor  they 
vary  simply  in  degrees  of  unpleasantness,  all  being 
more  or  less  acid,  bitter  and  aromatic,  and  the  bitter  is 
of  a  particularly  persistent  and  pervading  kind. 

Another  family  characteristic  is  the  brilliant  stems 
of  many  of  the  species.  The  most  marked  example  is 
the  White-fruited  Dogwood,  Cormts  alba  of  Siberia, 
which  is  the  species  most  generally  cultivated  in  this 
country.  The  blood-red  twigs  and  stems  which  glow 
throughout  the  winter,  and  deepen  and  flame  as  winter 

242 


FLOWERING   DOGWOOD 


Flowering  Dogwood,  Cornns  flor.da. 
Spread  of  the  Flower- bracts  2'  to  tf. 


DOGWOOD    FAMILY 

merges  into  spring,  are  well  known  to  even  the  most 
casual  observer.  This  species  is  marked  in  many  deal- 
ers' catalogues  as  Cornus  sanguinca,  but  this  is  wrong. 
The  real  Cornus  sanguined  is  a  European  species  having 
little  of  interest  in  the  color  of  its  bark,  which  be- 
comes gray  when  old.  The  color  of  its  fruit  is  black. 

Our  own  Cornus  stolonifera  possesses  the  beautiful 
red  twigs  in  so  marked  a  degree  as  to  give  it  the  com- 
mon name  Red-osier  Dogwood.  Cornus  bailcyi  and 
Cornus  aspcr ifolia  have  twigs  of  reddish  brown;  those 
of  Cornus  alternifolia  and  Cornus  circinata  are  green  ; 
those  of  Cornus  ainonum  dull  purple.  An  extensive 
and  pleasing  range  of  winter  coloring  can  be  had  by 
means  of  dogwoods  alone. 

FLOWERING   DOGWOOD 

Cdrnus  fldrida. 

The  Flowering  Dogwood  is  both  tree  and  shrub, 
and  its  value  as  an  ornamental  plant  is  not  exceeded 
by  any  other  denizen  of  our  gardens.  Its  flowers  are 
sui generis ;  the  real  flowers  are  the  little  green  bunch 
in  the  centre  of  the  four  petaloid  bracts  which  enwrap 
and  protect  them.  The  genesis  of  these  great  white 
bracts  is  interesting.  They  are  simply  four  bud-scales 
and  may  be  seen  upon  the  flower  buds  which  develop 
in  late  summer  at  the  tips  of  the  branches  of  any 
fruitful  and  flourishing  individual.  They  endure  the 
buffetings  of  storms;  they  brave  the  cold,  the  ice,  the 
snow  of  winter ;  and  when  spring  comes  and  other 
bud-scales,  having  completed  their  service,  pass  away 
unregarded,  these  simply  take  on  a  second  growth, 

244 


ROUND-LEAVED    DOGWOOD 


Round-leaved  Dogwood,  Corntts  circinata. 

Leaves  2'  to  (/  long.     Cymes  \%'  to  3'  across. 


DOGWOOD    FAMILY 

carrying  the  weather-beaten  winter  portion  of  the  old 
on  the  apex  of  the  new.  The  notch  on  the  end  of  the 
broad  white  bract  is  the  bud-scale  of  the  past  winter. 
vSearch  as  you  may,  you  can  never  find  one  without 
the  dark  scar.  This  is  the  insignia  of  service,  the  sign 
of  work  well  done. 

The  original  form  of  the  Red-flowering  Dogwood 
so  frequently  seen  in  parks  and  gardens  came  from 
Virginia  ;  but  the  trees  whose  flower  bracts  vary  from 
pure  white  are  not  rare.  The  bracts  are  not  pretty  or 
showy  until  fully  developed,  then  they  assume  the 
pink  of  the  wild  rose. 

ROUND-LEAV£D  DOGWOOD 

Cornns  circinata. 

A  compact  shrub  six  to  ten  feet  high,  in  shady,  often  rocky, 
places,  in  rich  or  sandy  soil.  Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Man- 
itoba, south  to  Virginia,  west  to  Iowa  and  Missouri. 

Stem. — Twigs  and  branches  green,  warty-dotted. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  two  to  six  inches  long,  orbicular, 
or  broadly  ovate,  sometimes  broader  than  long,  rounded  or 
truncate  at  base,  entire,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex.  They  come 
out  of  the  bud  slightly  involute,  pale  green  tipped  with  red, 
densely  covered  with  white  hairs ;  when  full  grown  are  bright 
pale  green,  slightly  pubescent  above,  densely  hairy  beneath.  In 
autumn  they  turn  a  dull  yellow.  Petioles  one-half  to  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  long. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  small,  white,  borne  in  rather 
dense  flat  cymes,  one  and  a  half  to  three  inches  across ;  pedicels 
downy. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-like,  four-toothed,  coherent  with  the  ovary. 

Corolla.- — Petals  four,  white,  ovate,  valvate  in  bud,  inserted 
on  a  disk  within  the  calyx. 

246 


SILKY    DOGWOOD 


Silky  Dogwood,  Cornus  amomum. 
Leaves  }'  to  5'  long.     Cymes  \%'  to  2%'  across. 


DOGWOOD    FAMILY 

Stamens. — Four,  exserted,  filaments  threadlike;  inserted  with 
the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled  ;  style  slender  ;  stigma 
capitate. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose,  very  pale  blue  or  white  with  a  bluish 
tinge,  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter;  stone  sub-globose, 
ridged.  Bitter,  aromatic.  September. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the  cornels.  It 
reaches  the  height  of  six  or  ten  feet ;  the  branches  are 
green  and  warty-dotted,  the  bright  green  leaves,  large 
and  roundish.  It  should  be  sought  for  in  open  rocky 
woods,  and  in  cultivation  will  do  best  in  a  shady  loca- 
tion. The  flowers  are  rather  large  for  a  dogwood, 
and  the  fruit,  light  blue  or  bluish  white,  is  too  scanty 
to  be  effective,  but  the  general  effect  of  the  plant  is  ex- 
cellent. 

SWAMP  DOGWOOD.    SILKY  DOGWOOD.    KINNIKINNIK 

Cornus   amomum.        Counts   sericea. 

A  shrub  six  to  ten  feet  high,  found  in  wet  soil,  low  woods  and 
along  streams.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Florida,  west  to 
Nebraska  and  Texas.  Bark  bitter  and  tonic. 

Stems. — Shoots  downy,  green  with  reddish  tinge.  Winter 
twigs  and  branches  purple  ;  stems  brown. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  three  to  five  inches  long,  oval,  nar- 
rowly-ovate, or  ovate-lanceolate,  narrowed  or  rounded  at  base, 
entire,  acuminate  at  apex  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed 
above,  ridged  below.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  slightly  invo- 
lute, pale  green,  with  white  woolly  hairs  ;  when  full  grown  are 
bright  shining  green  above,  pale  green,  silky  downy,  often  glau- 
cous, beneath.  Autumnal  tints  dull  purple  to  deep  red. 

Flowers. — May,  July.  Perfect,  cream-white,  borne  in  flat 
cymes,  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches  across. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-like,  four-toothed ;  coherent  with  the 
ovary. 

248 


ROUGH-LEAVED    DOGWOOD 


Rough-leaved  Dogwood,  Conius  asperifolia. 

Leaves  i  %'  to  5'  long.     Cymes  2'  to  3'  ac.  oss. 


DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  white,  narrowly  oblong,  acute,  valvate  in 
bud. 

Stamens. — Four,  exserted,  filaments  threadlike;  inserted  on 
disk,  with  the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled;  style  slender;  stigma  cap- 
itate. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose,  pale  blue,  one-fourth  to  three-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter ;  stone  oblique,  ridged.  Bitter,  aro- 
matic. September. 

The  Silky  Dogwood  is  the  latest  of  the  family  to 
flower,  usually  coming  into  bloom  about  the  twentieth 
of  June.  The  leaves  are  slender,  ovate,  pointed,  silky 
downy  on  the  under  side,  especially  when  young.  The 
flower  cymes  are  rather  smaller  than  those  of  the  other 
dogwoods.  The  fruit  is  bright  blue  and  usually  abun- 
dant. The  plant  is  very  common  at  the  north  along  the 
borders  of  swamps  and  in  other  low,  wet  places,  where 
it  forms  a  wide  spreading  bush  eight  to  ten  feet  high. 
Its  colored  twigs  and  branchlets  suffuse  a  purplish  tint 
over  the  bush  in  winter,  thus  giving  it  a  decided  orna- 
mental value. 

ROUGH-LEAVED   DOGWOOD 

Corn  us   asperifblia . 

Three  to  fifteen  feet  high,  found  in  wet  ground  or  near  streams. 
Ranges  from  southern  Ontario  to  Florida  and  west  to  Iowa,  Kan- 
sas and  Texas. 

Stems. — Reddish  brown  ;   branchlets  very  rough,  downy. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  one  and  a  half  to  five  inches  long, 
ovate-oval  or  elliptic,  rounded  at  base,  entire,  acuminate  at  apex  ; 
when  full  grown  densely  rough-hairy  above,  pale  and  downy 
beneath.  Petioles  slender,  rough-hairy. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  cream- white,  borne  in  loose 
cymes  ;  pedicels  are  rough -hairy. 

250 


RED-OSIER    DOGWOOD 


Red-osier  Dogwood,  Cornm  stoloiiifera. 
Leaves  4'  to  </  long.    Cymes  i'  to  a'  across. 


DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-shaped,  four-toothed,  coherent  with  the 
ovary. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  white,  oblong-lanceolate,  inserted  on  the 
disk. 

Stamens. — Four,  exserted  ;  filament  threadlike,  inserted  with 
the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled  ;  style  slender,  stigma  cap- 
itate. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose,  white,  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter;  stone  variable  in  shape.  Bitter,  aromatic.  September. 

Cor nus  aspcrifolia  is  a  western  and  southern  species, 
not  occurring  in  New  England  or  the  Middle  States. 
In  habit  and  general  appearance  it  resembles  Cornus 
stolonifera,  but  the  branches  are  brown  instead  of  red, 
and  the  branchlets  rough-hairy.  It  is  a  tall,  hardy 
species. 

RED-OSIER    DOGWOOD 

Cdrnus  stolonifera. 

Three  to  six  feet  high,  found  in  wet  places.  Ranges  from  New 
Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  to  British  Columbia,  south  to  Vir- 
ginia, westward  to  Kentucky  and  Nebraska. 

Stems. — Branchlets  at  first  reddish,  downy ;  later  dark  red  ; 
and  in  winter,  stems,  branches  and  twigs  become  a  bright  purplish 
red,  smooth  and  shining.  Stems  lose  much  of  their  brilliant 
color  when  the  leaves  appear,  to  regain  it  again  in  autumn. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  four  to  six  inches  long,  ovate,  ovate- 
lanceolate  or  oblong,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire, 
acute  or  acuminate  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  slightly 
involute,  reddish,  covered  with  white  hairs  above  and  below  ; 
when  full  grown  are  bright  green,  somewhat  downy  above,  paler 
green  or  white  and  somewhat  downy  below.  In  autumn  they 
turn  a  bronze  purple  or  dark  red  touched  with  orange,  or  yellow. 
Petiole  dull  red,  slender,  grooved,  one-half  to  one  inch  long. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Perfect,  cream- white,  borne  in  flat 
cymes,  one  to  two  inches  across  ;  pedicels  downy. 

252 


PANICLED    DOGWOOD 


Panicled  Dogwood,  Cornm  candidissima. 

l-eavcs  2%'  to  4'  long.     Cymes  ilAf  to  a'  across. 


DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-like,  four- toothed,  coherent  with  the  ovary, 
Corolla. — Petals  four,  white,  ovate-oblong,  valvate  in  bud,  in- 
serted on  disk. 

Stamens. — Four,  exserted;  filaments  threadlike;  inserted  with 
the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled ;  style  slender ;  stigma  cap- 
itate. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose,  white  or  whitish,  about  one-fourth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter ;  stone  variable  in  shape. 

The  Red-osier  is  a  very  common  northern  shrub 
found  growing  in  company  with  Alnus  incana  along  the 
watercourses.  It  spreads  by  means  of  underground 
shoots  so  that  a  single  plant  quickly  makes  of  itself  a 
thicket.  In  leaf,  flower  and  fruit  it  resembles  the  Red- 
stemmed  Dogwood  of  cultivation.  Were  it  not  sur- 
passed by  this  Siberian  species  it  would  be  cultivated 
for  the  beauty  of  its  glowing  red-purple  stems  and 
branches,  which  in  winter  look  very  warm,  bright  and 
cheerful  against  the  snow.  The  fruit  is  white. 

PANICLED   DOGWOOD 

Cdrmis  candidtssima.     Cornus  paniculata. 

Tall,  spreading,  often  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  found  along  the 
borders  of  streams  and  on  the  margins  of  lowland  woods  and 
thickets.  Ranges  from  Maine  to  North  Carolina,  west  to  Minne- 
sota and  Nebraska. 

Stems. — Twigs,  stems  and  branches  smooth,  gray. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  two  and  a  half  to  four  inches  long, 
ovate-lanceolate,  wedge-shaped  or  obtuse  at  base,  entire,  acumi- 
nate at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  slightly  involute,  pale 
green  tinged  with  red,  slightly  downy  ;  when  full  grown  are 
finely  downy  above  and  below  ;  pale  and  sometimes  glaucous 
below.  Petioles  slender. 

254 


BAILEY'S    DOGWOOD 


Bailey's  Dogwood,  Cormts  baileyi. 


DOGWOOD    FAMILY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  cream-white,  borne  in  loose- 
flowered  somewhat  paniculate  cymes,  one  and  a  half  to  two 
inches  across. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-shaped,  four-toothed,  coherent  with  the 
ovary. 

Corolla. — Petals  four,  white,  lanceolate,  inserted  on  the  disk, 
valvate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Four,  exserted;  filaments  threadlike,  inserted  with 
the  petals. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose  or  slightly  depressed,  white,  about 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  stone  sub-globose. 

BAILEY'S     DOGWOOD 

Cornus  bailey i. 

This  Dogwood  is  a  native  of  the  sand  dunes  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  also  found  in  moist  ground  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  Minnesota  and  westward. 

The  species  was  long  considered  a  form  of  Cornus 
stolonifera  from  which  it  can  be  distinguished  "  by  the 
lack  of  stolons,  by  the  much  duller  and  brown  bark, 
and  the  white  fruit  with  a  large  flattened  stone,  and 
also  by  the  white  wooliness  of  the  lower  leaf  surfaces. 
It  appears  on  the  sand  dunes  about  the  Great  Lakes, 
often  in  the  loosest,  shifting,  white  sands."  Flowers 
appear  more  or  less  abundantly  all  summer. 

ALTERNATE-LEAVED    DOGWOOD 

Cdrmis  alternifblia. 

The  Alternate-leaved  Dogwood  is  sometimes  a  tree 
and  frequently  a  shrub.  Unlike  the  other  dogwoods 
its  leaves  are  alternate  and  they  often  appear  in  a  sort 
of  tufted  group.  The  stem  and  twigs  are  green  and 

256 


ALTERNATE-LEAVED    DOGWOOD 


Alternate-leaved  Dogwood,  Cormis  alternifolia. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long.     Cymes  \%'  ID  2'  across. 


DOGWOOD   FAMILY 

in  a  group  of   dogwoods  arranged  for    winter   color 
give  an  excellent  effect. 

The  leaves  are  slender- petioled,  oval  or  ovate, 
acuminate  or  acute  at  apex,  two  to  four  inches  long  ; 
dark  green  above,  paler  green  and  slightly  pubescent 
beneath.  The  flower  clusters  are  one  and  a  half  to  two 
inches  across,  the  petals  lanceolate.  The  fruit  is  dark 
blue  and  a  little  less  bitter  than  that  of  some  of  the 
other  species,  so  that  it  is  taken  by  the  birds.  The 
range  extends  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Georgia  and  west 
as  far  as  Minnesota. 

RED-STEMMED  DOGWOOD.      WHITE-FRUITED    DOG- 
WOOD 

Cdrnus  alba.     {Cornus  sanguinea.) 

The  Red-stemmed  or  Red-twigged  Dogwood  is  one 
of  the  most  satisfactory  of  cultivated  shrubs.  A  na- 
tive of  northern  Europe  and  northern  Asia,  it  is  per- 
fectly hardy  here,  and  the  brilliant  blood-red  stems 
against  a  white  background  of  snow,  arrest  the  at- 
tention of  the  most  unobservant.  The  flood  tide  of 
color  is  in  February  and  March  ;  as  the  leaves  begin 
to  appear  the  color  fades  and  during  the  summer  the 
stems  are  dull. 

There  is  no  objection  to  its  common  name  ;  it  is  fit- 
ting and  appropriate.  Nor  is  there  any  objection  to 
the  botanical  name,  Cornus  sanguined,  were  that  the 
name  of  the  plant.  But  it  is  not,  unfortunately  ;  and 
furthermore,  it  never  can  be.  That  name  has  already 
been  given  to  an  entirely  different  species;  it  has  been 
recorded  in  all  the  finding  lists  of  Europe,  and  it  will 

258 


RED-STEMMED    DOGWOOD 


Red-stemmed  Dogwood,  Conius  alba. 

Leaves  3'  to  5'  long.     Cymes  2'  to  3'  across. 


DOGWOOD    FAMILY 

not,  it  cannot  be  changed.  Cormis  alba  is  the  correct 
name;  the  bush  having  been  named  with  reference  to 
its  fruit  rather  than  its  stems. 

Dealers  of  acknowledged  standing  are  extensively 
advertising  the  Red-stemmed  Dogwood  as  Cornus  san- 
gninea  and  the  public  is  just  as  extensively  buying  it 
under  the  same  name.  "  A  name  is  a  trifle  and  besides 
this  one  is  fitting."  No  doubt  "  a  rose  by  any  other 
name  would  smell  as  sweet,"  but  after  all  it  is  not  quite 
pleasant  that  so  gross  an  error  should.be  so  wide- 
spread ;  or  that  it  should  be  so  strongly  entrenched 
among  those  who  ought  to  know  better. 


260 


RED-STEMMED    DOGWOOD 


Red-stemmed  Dogwood,  Cornus  alba,  in  fruit. 


CAPRIFOLlACE/E— HONEYSUCKLE 
FAMILY 

AMERICAN   ELDER.     SWEET   ELDER 

Sambitcus  canadcnsis. 

Sambucus'vs,  a  word  of  doubtful  origin  and  of  no  significance 
as  applied  to  this  plant.  An  old  explanation  was  that  the 
word  is  derived  from  sambuke,  the  Greek  name  of  a  musical 
instrument  supposed  to  have  been  made  of  the  wood  of  this 
plant.  This  explanation  is  now  discredited. 

A  thrifty  shrub,  five  to  fifteen  feet  high,  abundant  on  the 
borders  of  streams,  in  moist  places  and  along  fences.  Bark, 
leaves  and  berries  are  reputed  of  medicinal  value.  Suckers 
freely  ;  the  young  shoot  is  a  green  withe.  Common  throughout 
the  northern  states. 

Stems. — Filled  with  white  pith  ;  swollen  at  the  joints.  Branch- 
lets  green  at  first,  then  pale  yellowish  gray  with  more  or  less 
bloom,  later  darker  gray  with  yellow  lines,  finally  dark  or  yellow 
brown.  Lenticels  prominent. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  pinnately  compound ;  leaflets  five  to 
eleven,  almost  sessile  except  the  terminal  which  has  a  short  peti- 
olule,  narrow-oblong  or  oblong-ovate,  four  to  six  inches  long, 
wedge-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  serrate,  often  entire  toward 
the  base,  acuminate  or  acute  ;  midrib  and  primary  veins  de- 
pressed above,  prominent  below;  lower  leaflet  sometimes  lobed. 
They  come  out  of  the  bud  pale  green,  shining,  very  downy ; 
when  full  grown  are  dark  green,  glabrous  above,  pale  green, 
glabrous  or  somewhat  downy  beneath.  In  autumn  they  remain 
unchanged  until  destroyed  by  heavy  frosts.  When  crushed  they 
exhale  a  heavy  odor.  Petiole  two  to  three  inches  long,  grooved, 

262 


AMERICAN    ELDER 


American  Elder,  Saittbncitx  canadtttsis. 

Leaflets  4'  to  (/  long.     Cymes  *,'  to  S'  across. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

swollen  at  base,  the  two  coming  together  almost  clasp  the  stem. 
Leaflets  often  have  stipels. 

Flowers. — June  to  August.  Perfect,  cream-white,  star-like, 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  across,  turning  brown  in  drying,  borne 
in  flat,  spreading,  compound  cymes  five  to  eight  inches  across. 
Odor  not  unpleasant. 

Calyx. — Adnate  to  the  ovary;  five-cleft;  lobes  minute,  acute, 
white  with  reddish  tips. 

Corolla. — Cream-white,  with  small,  short  tube  and  flat  border, 
five  to  seven-lobed  ;  lobes  Bounded,  greatly  reflexed. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla  and  alternate  with  its 
lobes,  exserted  ;  filaments  slender,  white  ;  anthers  pale  yellow, 
two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  three  to  five-celled,  one  ovule  in  each 
cell ;  style  three  to  five-lobed. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  juicy  drupe,  borne  in  broad  flat  cymes,  dark 
purple,  size  of  small  pea,  crowned  with  the  remnant  of  the  calyx, 
containing  three  to  five  nutlets.  Flesh  crimson  with  crimson 
juice  ;  taste  pleasant. 

An  elder  or  two 
Foamed  over  with  blossoms  white  as  spray. 

— JAMES  RUSSELL  LOWELL. 

An  infusion  of  the  juice  of  the  berry  of  the  Common  Elder  is  a  deli- 
cate test  for  acids  and  alkalies.  An  infusion  of  the  bruised  leaves  is  used  by 
gardeners  to  expel  insects  from  vines.  A  wholesome  sudorific  tea  is  made  of 
the  flowers.  The  abundant  pith  is  the  best  substance  for  the  pith-balls  used 
in  electrical  experiments  ;  and  the  hollow  shoots  are  in  great  use  with  boys 
for  pop-guns  and  fifes. 

— GEOR<;E  B.  EMERSON. 

To  one  who  in  the  ripening  days  of  August  fares  through  uncared  for 
country  roads,  few  bushes  have  more  charm  than  the  Elder.  In  every  fence 
corner,  bordering  the  tumbling  stone  walls,  and  in  umbrageous  clumps  by 
the  roadside,  stand  these  spreading  shrubs,  with  dull  green  foliage  and 
heavy  clusters  of  small  purple  black  berries.  Not  seldom  wild  vines  run 
riot  through  the  gray  clustered  stems  ;  and  the  clematis,  the  traveller's  joy, 
tosses  the  white  foam  of  its  airy  bloom  over  the  full  fruitage.  The  elderberry 
crop  never  fails;  huckleberries  and  blackberries,  other  children  of  the  wastes 
may  have  dried  in  th?  droughts  of  midsummer,  but  the  little  elderberries  full 
of  crimson  juice  crowd  in  close  cymes  upon  every  branch. 

—MARTHA  BOCKEE  FLINT. 
26.1 


AMERICAN    ELDER 

The  American  Elder  is  one  of  the  choicest  of  our 
native  shrubs,  and  is  such  a  familiar  figure  in  northern 
fields  and  by  northern  roadsides  that  its  beauty  passes 
unnoticed,  and  the  plant  is  foolishly  and  ruthlessly 
cut  down  even  when  no  use  is  made  of  the  land  so 
despoiled.  It  marks  a  great  advance  in  the  intellect- 
ual cultivation  of  the  individual  when  he  is  able  to 
appreciate  the  beauty  of  familiar  things,  and  does  not 
wish  to  destroy  an  object  simply  because  it  is  well 
known.  There  have  been  precepts  carefully  incul- 
cated, that  neat  farming  involved  the  destruction  of 
every  bush  by  the  fence  or  wayside.  Away  with  such 
unlovely  wisdom  !  Why  may  not  the  fence  line  sim- 
ulate the  hedgerow  and,  with  a  little  care,  take  virtu- 
ally nothing  from  the  cultivated  field  and  add  im- 
measurably to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape?  Why  may 
not  the  roadside  be  an  arboretum  of  its  own  locality  ? 

In  the  flowering  season  the  Elder  equals  if  it  does 
not  surpass  in  beauty  and  effectiveness  the  finest  of 
our  garden  favorites, — this  bush  "  foamed  over  with 
blossoms  white  as  spray."  The  high  tide  of  bloom 
occurs  in  early  July  and  marks  the  virtual  closing  of 
the  great  spring  flowering  period.  The  flowers  can- 
not be  used  for  indoor  decoration, — they  droop  imme- 
diately upon  being  cut. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  how  the  great  flat  cluster 
divides  into  fives.  There  are  five  large  stems  and  four 
of  these  are  of  about  equal  size ;  the  central  one  is  not 
so  long  or  so  strong  and  it  is  this  which  gives  the  de- 
pressed look  to  the  cluster.  Each  stem  divides  again 
into  five,  but  one  or  two  of  the  divisions  usually  out- 
strip the  others. 

265 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Later,  the  bushes  stand  bowed  with  the  burden  of 
purple  berries.  People  may  be  divided  in  opinion  as 
to  the  merits  of  the  fruit ;  the  robins  are  not ;  with  one 
accord  they  call  them  good  and  seek  them  tunefully 
and  joyously.  By  way  of  domestic  value,  elderberries 
have  been  used  in  pies  and  puddings,  but  they  are  not 
sufficiently  acid  to  be  really  palatable  when  used 
alone.  The  fruit  is  also  responsible  for  the  domestic 
elderberry  wine,  which  certainly  cheers  and  does  not 
inebriate  and  is  reputed  to  possess  medicinal  properties. 

There  is  a  golden-leaved  variety  which  is  very  ex- 
tensively planted  ;  and  which  in  midsummer  lights  up 
the  fence  corner  or  garden  walk  with  a  golden  glow 
that  is  extremely  effective  amid  the  surrounding  green. 

MOUNTAIN  ELDER.  RED-BERRIED  ELDER 

Sambucus  pubens.     Sambuciis  racembsa. 

A  shrub  two  to  twelve  feet  high,  twigs  and  leaves  pubescent ; 
the  younger  stems  full  of  reddish  brown  pith ;  found  in  rocky 
places  and  in  dry  woods.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Brit- 
ish Columbia  and  Alaska,  south  to  Georgia,  southwest  to  Colo- 
rado and  California. 

Stems. — Young  stems  pale,  dotted  with  many  brownish  lenti- 
cels  ;  older  stems  brown,  having  a  rough  and  warty  appearance. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  pinnately  compound ;  leaflets  five  to 
seven,  oblong-lanceolate  or  oval,  three  to  five  inches  long,  nar- 
rowed and  often  bilateral  at  base,  sharply  serrate,  acuminate  at 
apex  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above,  prominent 
beneath;  they  come  out  of  the  bud. pale  green,  shining  and 
downy,  when  full  grown  are  dark  green,  nearly  smooth  above, 
paler  green  and  downy  below.  In  autumn  they  remain  late  and 
fall  with  little  change  of  color.  Petioles  reddish  and  grooved. 
Small  red  glands  appear  at  the  base  of  each  petiole  and  at  the 
base  of  some  petiolules. 

266 


RED-BERRIED   ELDER 


Red-berried  Elder,  Sainbucns  pnbens. 

Leaflets  )'   to  5'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  small,  cream-white,  turning 
brown  in  drying,  borne  in  pyramidal  compound  cymes,  odor 
heavy. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary ;  border  narrow,  five-cleft ; 
lobes  minute. 

Corolla. — Cream-'white,  wheel-shaped,  spreading  five-cleft  bor- 
der, lobes  rounded,  greatly  reflexed. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla  and  alternate  with  its 
lobes,  exserted  ;  filaments  slender,  white  ;  anthers  pale  yellow, 
two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  three  to  five-celled  ;  style  short,  three- 
lobed  ;  one  ovule  in  each  cell. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  juicy  drupe,  borne  in  pyramidal  clusters, 
brilliant  scarlet,  size  of  a  small  pea,  crowned  with  remnants  of 
style  and  calyx,  containing  three  to  five  nutlets.  Flesh  yellow 
and  unpleasant  to  the  taste.  June,  July. 

The  Red-berried  Elder  belongs  to  the  group  of 
early  bloomers.  Its  flower  buds  push  out  from  their 
protecting  bracts  in  company  with  those  of  the  Shrub 
Yellow-root,  the  Forsjthia  and  the  Magnolia  stellata. 
The  flower  cluster,  instead  of  being  broad  and  flat  like 
that  of  the  American  Elder,  is  pyramidal.  The  tiny 
flowers  so  dispose  themselves  that  they  seem  like  little 
balls  with  stamens  protruding  on  every  side.  The 
fruit  is  a  brilliant  scarlet,  borne  in  great  clusters,  and 
frequently  so  abundant  as  to  make  the  bush  one  mass 
of  red;  and  as  this  magnificent  display  comes  early- 
even  before  the  American  Elder  comes  into  bloom — it 
has  an  increased  value.  But  under  any  circumstances, 
the  fruiting  bush  is  extremely  ornamental  with  every 
branch  tipped  with  a  scarlet  thyrsus.  A  white- 
berried  variety  has  been  reported  as  occurring  on  the 
Catskill  mountains. 

The  bush  can  be  distinguished  from  Sambucus  cana- 

268 


THE    VIBURNUMS 

densis,  if  in  bloom  by  the  shape  of  the  flower  cluster; 
if  in  fruit  by  the  brilliant  scarlet  of  the  berries;  if 
without  flowers  or  fruit,  by  the  brownish  pith  of  the 
small  twigs  which  is  a  persistent  character  and  will 
serve  to  determine  the  species. 

THE  VIBURNUMS 

Our  northern  Viburnums  are  a  group  of  ornamental 
trees  and  shrubs  which  are  rapidly  winning  their  way 
into  popular  appreciation.  Excellent  in  habit,  foliage, 
flower  and  fruit,  and  perfectly  hardy,  they  are  valu- 
able for  lawn  and  park  decoration,  and  also  as  road- 
side shrubs.  The  distinguishing  characters  are  their 
flat  clusters  of  small,  white,  rarely  pink  flow- 
ers and  their  showy  panicles  of  fruit,  which 
in  ripening  give  most  exquisite  gradations  of 
color.  The  individual  flower  is  a  five-pointed 
star,  bearing  five  exserted  stamens  ;  the  points 
of  the  star  are  considerably  rounded.  The  only 
shrubs  with  which  the  Viburnums  in  bloom  might 
be  confounded  are  the  dogwoods;  but  the  individual 
flower  of  a  dogwood  is  a  four-pointed  star,  with  the 
points  intact.  That  slight  distinction  is  a  certain 
means  of  distinguishing  the  two. 

Two  trees  of  the  group,  Viburnum  Icntago  and  Vibur- 
num pruni folium,  often  appear  as  shrubs.  They  are 
attractive  in  foliage  and  in  flower,  and  their  fruit  is 
sweet  and  edible. 

One  species  of  the  genus  has  been  developed  into 
an  extremely  decorative  plant  and  is  the  well  known 
Snowball  of  our  gardens. 

269 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

The  members  of  the  family  are  conspicuous  for 
their  fine  autumnal  tints.  These  are  bronze  and  pur- 
ple, brightening  into  red  or  orange. 

HOBBLE-BUSH.     AMERICAN   WAYFARING-TREE 

Viburmim  alnifblium.      Viburnum  lantanoides. 

Viburnum  is  an  ancient  name  of  unknown  meaning.  Hob- 
bie-bush  refers  to  the  prostrate  branches  which  often  trip 
the  unwary. 

A  low,  irregular  shrub  with  long,  flexible,  often  procumbent, 
branches  and  large  leaves  ;  found  in  cold,  moist  woods.  Ranges 
from  New  Brunswick  to  North  Carolina,  west  to  Michigan. 

Stems. — Bark  purplish  ;  branches  often  long  and  prostrate ; 
branchlets  densely  covered  with  rusty,  stellate  pubescence. 
Branches  often  take  root  at  the  tips. 

Leaves.  —  Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  orbicular  or 
broadly  ovate,  three  to  eight  inches  across,  heart-shaped  at  base, 
finely  serrate,  abruptly  pointed  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the 
bud  involute,  clothed  with  dense  rusty  down  ;  when  full  grown 
are  deeply  corrugated  above  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  scurfy 
with  rusty  stellate  pubescence.  Autumnal  tints  are  brilliant  red 
and  orange.  Petioles  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  scurfy 
with  rusty  down,  often  showing  small  stipular  appendages,  but 
no  real  stipules. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Of  two  kinds,  perfect  and  neutral. 
White,  borne  in  broad,  compound,  sessile,  radiant  cymes,  three 
to  five  inches  across ;  the  outer  and  imperfect  flowers  more  or 
less  numerous,  raised  on  longer  pedicels  and  destitute  of  stamens 
and  pistils.  They  are  circular  disks,  one-half  to  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  across,  having  five,  large,  unequal,  rounded  lobes  ;  the  in- 
ner flowers  are  small  and  perfect.  Pedicels  downy. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary  ;  border  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — White  ;  of  the  perfect  flowers,  rotate,  five-lobed  ; 
lobes  spreading  ;  neutral  rotate,  lobes  much  enlarged. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla-tube ;  anthers  ex- 
serted. 

270 


HOBBLE-BUSH 


Hobble-bush,  Viburnum  alnifolium. 

Leaves  }'  to  S'  across.     Cymes  3'  to  5'  across. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Pistil. — Ovary  :nferior,  one-celled  ;  style  short ;  stigmas  three- 
parted. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  ovoid-oblong,  red  darkening  to  purple  :  one- 
seeded,  half  an  inch  long;  pulp  soft.  Stone  three-grooved  on 
one  side  and  one-grooved  on  the  other.  September. 

The  flat  hydrangea-like  corollas  of  the  neutral  flow- 
ers on  the  margins  of  the  flower  clusters  are  an  inch  or 
more  in  diameter,  and  appearing  above  the  half-grown 
leaves  are  extremely  effective.  The  plant  is  good  at 
all  seasons,  with  its  sturdy  growth,  its  great  leaves,  its 
beautiful  fruit  changing  through  coral  and  crimson  to 
purple. 

The  long  branches  often  take  root  at  the  end  and  so 
form  loops  that,  in  the  woods  where  it  abounds,  fre- 
quently catch  the  foot  of  the  unwary,  hence  the  name 
Hobble-bush.  This  unpleasant  habit  seems  to  be  re- 
sponsible for  certain  other  not  altogether  complimen- 
tary names,  as  Witch-hobble  and  Trip-toe. 

The  rusty  hairs  which  cover  the  growing  shoots, 
the  opening  leaves,  and  the  flower  stems,  are  arranged 
in  star-like  clusters  and  are  objects  of  great  beauty 
under  a  magnifying  glass.  This  peculiarity  of  stellate 
hairs  is  shared  by  the  Clethra  and  also  in  a  very  marked 
degree  by  the  Buffalo-berry. 

The  Hobble-bush  is  a  better  garden  plant,  or  at 
least  more  manageable,  when  grafted  upon  Viburnum 
dentatum  than  upon  its  own  roots. 


272 


HIGH-BUSH    CRANBERRY 

HIGH-BUSH   CRANBERRY.      CRANBERRY-TREE. 
GUELDER    ROSE 

Viburnum  dpulus, 

An  exceedingly  handsome  shrub  with  smooth  branches,  four 
to  ten  feet  high,  growing  in  low  ground,  along  streams  and  on 
the  borders  of  swamps.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Penn- 
sylvania, and  westward  to  Michigan,  South  Dakota  and  Oregon. 

Leaves.  —  Opposite,  simple,  palmately  veined,  two  to  five 
inches  long,  one  and  a  half  to  four  inches  wide,  rounded  or 
wedge-shaped  at  base,  three-nerved,  three-lobed;  lobes  divergent, 
sparingly  toothed  with  unequal  blunt  teeth.  They  come  out  of 
the  bud  involute,  pale  green  tinged  with  red,  shining  and  downy; 
when  full  grown  are  dark  dull  green,  nearly  glabrous  above, 
paler  green,  somewhat  pubescent,  beneath,  deeply  corrugated 
above.  Petioles  about  an  inch  long,  with  one  or  two  stipular 
appendages,  which  are  more  or  less  glandular.  Autumnal  tints 
bronze  purple  and  dull  red. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Of  two  kinds,  perfect  and  neutral. 
White,  borne  in  broad,  compound,  terminal  pedunculate  radiant 
cymes,  three  to  four  inches  across,  having  five  large,  unequal 
rounded  lobes.  The  perfect  flowers  are  small,  about  three-six- 
teenths across.  The  neutral  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
across. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary  ;  border  five-toothed. 

Corolla.  —  Cream-white,  rotate,  five-lobed  ;  lobes  rounded, 
spreading,  imbricate  in  bud.  Perfect  flowers  a  trifle  more  yel- 
lowish than  the  neutral. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla-tube,  exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  one-celled  ;  stigma  three-parted. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose  or  oval,  bright  red,  translucent, 
crowned  by  the  limb  of  the  calyx,  three-eighths  to  half  an  inch 
long,  intensely  acid  and  slightly  bitter;  clings  to  the  branch  all 
winter.  Stone  flat,  orbicular,  not  grooved.  September. 

The  High-bush  Cranberry  loves  the  north,  and 
along  the  sixtieth  parallel  encircles  the  globe  with  lit- 

273 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 


Hig'h-bush  Cranberry,  Viburnum  opulits. 

Leaves  2'  to  5'  long.     Cymes  3'  to  4'  across. 


SNOWBALL 


Snowball,  Viburnum  opulns  sterilis. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

tie  change  of  habit  or  character.  It  descends  as  far 
as  the  fortieth  parallel  and  grows  there  fairly  well. 

In  late  May  or  early  June  a  broad  cluster  of  small 
white  blossoms,  which  are  the  fruit-bearing  flowers  of 
the  plant,  appear  at  the  apex  of  nearly  every  stem. 
At  the  margin  of  this  cluster,  arranged  around  these 
perfect  blossoms  in  an  irregular  circle  are  numbers  of 
cream-white  disks  variously  rounded  and  lobed,  desti- 
tute of  stamens  and  pistils,  apparently  for  show  and 
not  for  use.  These  marginal  flowers  become  con- 
spicuously white  a  few  days  before  the  perfect  flowers 
open.  They  are  evidently  a  signal,  a  flag  hung  out  to 
the  insect  world  saying,  "  Come  buy,  come  buy  !  with- 
out money  and  without  price." 

Its  contribution  to  the  beauty  of  the  garden  is  great- 
est when  in  fruit.  None  of  its  neighbors  can  surpass 
it.  Soon  after  the  flowers  have  dropped,  the  berries 
are  noticeable,  and  by  the  last  of  July  they  become  a 
beautiful  greenish  yellow,  touched  with  red.  Later, 
the  entire  bush  flames  in  scarlet,  and  so  remains  long 
into  the  autumn.  The  fruit  is  acid — so  acid  that  the 
birds  evidently  do  not  care  to  set  their  bills  on  edge 
with  it — containing  also  a  marked  trace  of  bitter  ;  and 
has  been  used  as  a  poor  substitute  for  cranberries, 
whence  its  common  name. 

Viburnum  opu/us  is  the  parent  of  the  common  Snow- 
ball, Viburnum  opulns  steri/is,vi  our  gardens.  When- 
ever any  plant  shows  a  few  neutral  flowers  in  its  wild 
state,  these  can  be  increased  indefinitely  by  cultivation 
and  selection. 

Viburnum  paucifolinm,  the  Few-flowered  Cranberry- 
tree,  differs  from  Viburnum  opu/us  in  its  broader 

276 


MAPLE-LEAVED   VIBURNUM 


Maple-leaved  Viburnum,  Viburnum  acerifolium. 

Leaves  }'  to  5'  long.     Cymes  2'  to  }'  across. 


HONEYSUCKLE   FAMILY 

leaves  and  fewer  flowers,,  all  of  which  are  perfect. 
The  fruit  is  smaller  and  paler  red.  Its  range  is  north- 
ern, reaching  its  southern  limit  in  the  mountains  of 
Pennsylvania. 

MAPLE-LEAVED   VIBURNUM.    ARROW-WOOD 

Viburnum  accrifbliiim. 

A  small  bush,  three  to  six  feet  high,  found  on  sandy  or  rocky 
hillsides  at  the  margin  of  woods  ;  will  grow  in  exposed  positions. 
Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  North  Carolina  and  west  to 
Michigan  and  Minnesota. 

Stems. — Stems  smooth,  straight  and  slender  ;  growing  shoots 
and  petioles  somewhat  pubescent. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  palmately-veined,  three-lobed,  three 
to  five  inches  long,  orbicular  or  broad-oval,  rounded  or  heart- 
shaped  at  base,  coarsely  and  unequally  toothed  ;  lobes  diverg- 
ing, acuminate  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute, 
reddish,  densely  hairy;  when  full  grown  are  dark  green,  downy 
above,  paler  and  downy  below.  Autumnal  tints  are  deep  dull 
red  varying  to  rose  pink,  sometimes  fading  to  cream-white, 
very  beautiful.  Petioles  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  long, 
downy,  furnished  near  the  base  with  two  stipule-like  appendages. 

Flowers. — June.  Perfect,  cream-white,  borne  in  loose  termi- 
nal pedunculate  cymes,  two  to  three  inches  across. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed,  teeth  obtuse. 

Corolla. — White,  rotate,  about  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch 
across. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  corolla-tube,  filaments  white, 
anthers  yellow,  oblong,  exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  one  to  three-celled  ;  style  short,  three- 
lobed. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  deep  purple,  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long, 
clings  to  the  branches  throughout  the  winter  ;  pulp  thin.  Stone 
lenticular,  faintly  two-ridged  on  one  side  and  two-grooved  on 
the  other.  September. 

278 


DOWNY   VIBURNUM 


Downy  Viburnum,  Viburnum  piibescens. 

Leaves  2%'  to  4'  long.     Cymes  j'  to  }%'  across. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

The  Maple-leaved  Viburnum  so  nearly  resembles  a 
group  of  young  maples  at  the  forest's  edge  as  fre- 
quently to  be  mistaken  for  them.  The  bush  at  flower- 
ing time  is  exceedingly  pretty;  it  grows  in  clumps 
and  although  the  flower  clusters  are  not  large  they 
are  abundant  and  stand  up  well  at  the  ends  of  the 
branches. 

The  autumnal  coloring  is  fine,  melting  from  dull  red 
into  rose  pink,  even  upon  occasion  fading  into  cream- 
white.  Rarely,  an  entire  clump  will  be  cream-white, 
or  cream-white  flushed  with  pale  pink, — again  a  single 
bush  will  vary  from  old  rose  to  cream-white.  The 
effect  is  startling.  Just  what  occasions  this  unusual 
white  coloring  is  difficult  to  tell.  The  only  other 
plant  that  I  know,  which  sometimes  does  the  same 
thing,  is  the  Flowering  Dogwood,  whose  normal 
autumnal  tint  is  a  brilliant  scarlet;  yet  I  have  seen 
small  trees  in  the  -depths  of  the  woods  clothed  in 
white  from  crown  to  tip. 

DOWNY   VIBURNUM 

Viburnum  piibescens. 

A  compact  shrub  three  to  four  feet  high,  with  grayish  slender 
branches  and  soft  brown,  downy  twigs ;  found  'on  dry  rocky 
banks.  Ranges  from  Quebec  and  Ontario  to  Georgia,  west  to 
Michigan  and  Iowa. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  and  a  half  to 
four  inches  long,  ovate  or  oblong-ovate,  rounded  or  heart- 
shaped  at  base,  dentate-serrate  or  entire,  acute  or  acuminate  at 
apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  pale  green,  shining 
and  hairy  ;  when  full  grown,  thick,  bright  green  above,  paler 
green  below  ;  sometimes  only  downy  on  the  veins  beneath,  often 

280 


ARROW-WOOD 


Arrow-wood,  ISiburnum  dsii/atum. 

Leaves   ij£'  to  3'  long.     Cymes  2'  to  >'  across. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

clothed  with  a  soft  velvety  pubescence.     Autumnal  tints  deep 
purple  brightening  to  red.     Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — June.     Perfect,  white,   borne  in  loose  pedunculate 
cymes,  one  to  three  inches  across,  abundant. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary  ;  border 
five-toothed,  acute. 

Corolla. — White,    rotate,    five-lobed  ;    lobes 
spreading. 

Stamens. — Five,    inserted    on    corolla-tube, 
exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary   inferior,    style   short,    three- 
Leaf  of  Downy  Vibur-     Jo^g^J 
num.     Typical  form. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  ovoid  or  oval,  dark  purple, 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  long;  pulp  thin.  Stone  slightly  two- 
grooved  on  both  faces.  August. 

The  Downy  Viburnum  is  one  of  the  smaller  species 
of  the  genus,  but  it  flowers  superbly  when  grown  in 
the  open  with  abundance  of  light  and  air.  The  plant 
is  also  very  fine  in  autumn,  as  the  leaves  turn  a  rich 
dark  purple  brightened  with  vinous  red.  The  leaves 
vary  greatly  in  shape,  character  of  margin,  and  degree 
of  pubescence. 

ARROW-WOOD 

Viburnum  dentatum. 

A  compact  shrub,  six  to  ten. feet  high  with  ash-colored  bark, 
smooth,  obtusely  angular  branches ;  the  young  shoots  slender 
and  very  straight  ;  found  in  low  moist  grounds  and  on  the  bor- 
der of  rivers.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Georgia  and  west 
to  Michigan  and  Minnesota.  Takes  kindly  to  cultivation. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  one  and  a  half 
to  three  inches  long,  broadly  ovate,  rounded  or  cordate  at  base, 
coarsely  and  sharply  serrate,  acute  at  apex  ;  strongly  veined  ; 
veins  depressed  above,  prominent  below.  They  come  out  of  bud 
involute,  green,  slightly  tinged  with  reddish  brown,  shining  and 

282 


WITHE-ROD 


Withe-rod,  Viburnum  cassinoidts. 
Leaves  tf  to  4'  long. 


downy  ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  dark  green  above,  paler  be- 
neath, with  tufts  of  hair  in  the  axils  of  the  veins.  The  autumnal 
tint  is  dark  bronze  red.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — June.  White,  perfect,  borne  in  broad,  flat  peduncu- 
late cymes,  two  to  three  inches  across. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary ;  limb  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — White,  rotate,  five-lobed  ;  lobes  spreading. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla-tube,  exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferipr,  style  short,  three-lobed. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose  ovoid,  dark  blue,  about  one-fourth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  flesh  thjn,  dry,  somewhat  acid  ;  stone  grooved 
on  one  side,  rounded  on  the  other.  September. 

Viburnum  deniatum  is  no\v  extensively  planted  in 
parks.  In  June  when  covered  with  great  flat  clusters 
of  snowy  flowers,  and  later  when  these 
are  succeeded  by  dark,  shining,  blue 
berries,  the  bush  is  most  attractive  and 
ornamental.  These  shining  blue  ber- 
ries are  eaten  by  birds,  although  it  is 
hard  to  understand  why  ;  they  are  dry, 
dull,  tasteless,  seedy  things. 

Uaf of yiburttum  molle-  Viburnum  molle",  the  Soft  -  leaved 
Arrow-wood,  is  a  southern  bush  greatly  resembling 
Viburnum  dentatum  and  is  sometimes  found  in  Penn- 
sylvania. It  is  perfectly  hardy  at  the  north  and  well 
worthy  of  cultivation. 

WITHE-ROD 

Viburnum  cassinoides. 

A  somewhat  straggling  bush,  two  to  twelve  feet  high,  with 
gray  branches :  twigs  sometimes  scurfy,  sometimes  glabrous ; 
found  in  swamps  and  wet  soil.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to 
Manitoba,  southward  to  Georgia  and  Alabama.  Takes  kindly  to 
cultivation. 

284 


WITHE-ROD 

Lfaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  ovate  or  oval, 
narrowed  or  rounded  at  base,  crenulate,  acute  at  apex,  thick  in 
texture,  glabrous  or  nearly  so.  Autumnal  tint  first  purple,  then 
turns  to  a  rich  vinous  red. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Perfect,  white,  borne  in  broad  flat 
pedunculate  cymes  two  to  four  inches  across. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary  ;   border  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — White,  rotate  five-lobed  ;  lobes  spreading. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  corolla-tube,  exserted. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  style  short,  three-lobed. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  globose  to  ovoid,  dark  blue,  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  stone  round  or  oval,  flattened.  September. 

The  best  garden  plant  among  our  viburnums  is  Vi- 
burnum cassinoidcs.  An  inhabitant  of  northern  swamps, 
it  is  distributed  from  Newfoundland  to  the  Saskatche- 
wan and  southward  to  New  Jersey.  In  its  wild  home 
it  is  a  loose,  straggling  shrub,  but  in  cultivation  it 
takes  on  the  graces  of  civilization  and  be- 
comes compact,  symmetrical,  an  ornament  to 
the  race  and  the  flower  of  the  family.  The 
leaves  are  thick,  leathery  and  rather  dull 
green;  the  flowers,  which  are  cream-white, 
are  borne  in  broad  five-rayed  cymes  four  or 
five  inches  across.  They  are  succeeded  by  Leaf  of 

num  nudum. 

abundant  fruit  which  melts  from  pale  green 

into    bright    rose,   and  then   darkens   into   blue-black; 

berries  of  the  three  colors  often  appearing  at  the  same 

time. 

Viburnum  nudum,  the  Large  Withe-rod,  is  a  bush  of 
southern  range  which  sometimes  crosses  our  border. 
It  resembles  Viburnum  cassinoides,  but  blooms  a  little 
later. 

Viburnum  lantana,  the  Wayfaring  Tree  of  Europe,  is 

285 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 


Wayfaring  Tree,  Viburnum  lantana. 


SNOWBERRY 

the  first  of  the  viburnums  to  bloom  ;  appearing  early 
in  May. 

The  inflorescence  is  a  flat  cyme  two  to  three  inches 
across ;  the  individual  flowers  do  not  vary  from  the 
type,  the  leaves  are  thick  dark  green,  and  the  fruit 
when  ripening  gives  a  succession  of  beautiful  color 
through  the  range  of  pale  green,  glowing  scarlet  and 
dark  blue-black.  It  has  long  been  in  cultivation,  and 
is  valuable  because  of  its  early  bloom  ;  in  other  re- 
spects it  does  not  excel  our  native  species. 

SNOWBERRY 

Symphoricdrpos  raccmbsus, 

Symphoricarpos,   fruit  grown    together ;    named   from   the 
clustered  berries. 

An  erect  shrub  three  to  five  feet  high,  with  smooth,  slender 
branches.  Found  in  rocky  places  and  on  river  banks  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  British  Columbia,  south  to  Pennsylvania  and  Ken- 
tucky. Widely  planted  as  an  ornamental  shrub  ;  suckers  freely  ; 
prefers  limestone  soils. 

Leares. — Opposite,  simple,  short-petioled,  one  to  two  and 
one-half  inches  long,  oval  or  ovate,  rounded  at  base  and  rounded 
or  slightly  acute  at  apex,  entire  or  undulate;  those  of  young 
shoots  sometimes  dentate.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute, 
dull  pale  green,  smooth,  when  full  grown  are  dull  dark  green 
above,  paler  green  below.  In  autumn  they  remain  unchanged 
until  caught  by  the  heavy  late  frosts. 

Flowers. — June  to  September.  Perfect,  small,  white  or  pink 
bells,  in  axillary  few-flowered  clusters  and  in  terminal  clusters 
which  are  often  leafy. 

Calyx. — Tube  nearly  globular,  adnate  to  the  ovary,  the  border 
four  to  five- toothed. 

Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long,  four  to  five- 
toothed,  slightly  gibbous  at  base,  l>earded  at  the  throat,  pinkish 
white. 

287 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Stamens. — Four  to  five,  included,  inserted  on  corolla,  alter- 
nate with  its  lobes. 

Pistil, — Ovary  inferior,  four-celled,  two  cavities  contain  abort- 
ed ovules,  other  two  contain  each  a  single  ovule;  style  smooth, 
included. 

Fruit. — Globose,  pure  white  berry,  loosely  cellular,  one- 
fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  in  diameter,  four-celled,  two-seeded, 
crowned  with  the  remnant  of  the  style  which  appears  as  a  black 
spot,  borne  in  clusters  ;  berries  of  varying  sizes.  August  to  No- 
vember. 

The  Snowberry  is  one  of  the  favorites  of  old-time 
gardens,  and  is  holding  its  own  fairly  well  in  the  new. 
Throughout  the  spring-time  it  is  simply  a  clean,  bright 
little  bush  with  a  tendency  to  enlarge  its  circumfer- 
ence. Early  in  July  it  begins  to  put  forth  its  clusters 
of  tiny  pink  bells,  which  do  not  attract  any  particular 
attention  ;  but  which  possess  the  power  of  transform- 
ing themselves  as  time  goes  on  into  clusters  of  snowy 
balls  varying  in  size  from  small  peas  to  small  marbles; 
packed  away  among  the  leaves  in  charming  confusion. 

These  white  berries  are  the  effective  feature  of  the 
plant,  and  the  bush  is  fairly  well  covered  with  them 
by  the  middle  of  August ;  although  the  blooming 
period  continues  for  a  month  longer.  At  this  time  a 
border  combination  of  Snowberry  with  Rosa  rugosa  is 
extremely  good  ;  the  white  berries  of  the  one  contrast- 
ing with  the  red  hips  of  the  other.  The  bush  laden 
with  its  white  burden  is  beautiful  throughout  the  au- 
tumn, and  holds  its  berries  intact  until  they  are  de- 
stroyed by  the  frosts  and  storms  of  November. 

The  gardeners  are  in  a  way  to  develop  the  fruit  at 
the  expense  of  the  beauty  of  the  bush  as  a  whole.  The 
stems  are  extremely  slender  and  delicate,  and  when 

288 


SNOWBERRV 


Snuwberry,  Sytupborimrpos  racemosus, 

Leaves  i'  to  2^'  Ion* 


HONEYSUCKLE   FAMILY 

the  weight  of  the  berries  is  too  great  for  the  stem  to 
hold  erect  it  is  overburdened  and  its  beauty  is  im- 
paired. 

INDIAN   CURRANT.     CORAL-BERRY 

Symphoricdrpos  symphoricdrpos .     Symphoricdrpos  vulgaris. 

A  shrub  two  to  five  feet  high,  branches  erect  or  slightly  curved, 
twigs  purplish  brown,  usually  pubescent.  Found  in  rocky  places 
and  on  river  banks, — from  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  in  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  south  to  Georgia  and  Texas,  and  west 
to  Dakota.  Cultivated. 

Leaves.— Opposite,  simple,  short-petioled,  one  to  one  and  one- 
half  inches  long,  oval  or  ovate,  rounded  at  base,  rounded  or  acute 
at  apex,  margin  entire  or  undulate,  smooth  above,  softly  downy 
beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  dull  pale  green  ; 
when  full  grown  are  dull  dark  green  above,  paler  below.  In 
autumn  they  remain  unchanged  until  destroyed  by  the  heavy 
frosts. 

Flowers. — August.  Perfect,  small,  greenish  pink-tipped  bells; 
borne  in  dense  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves;  filled  with 
nectar. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed  ;  teeth  short, 
persistent. 

Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  greenish  pink,  downy  within,  five- 
lobed. 

Stamens. — Four  or  five,  inserted  on  corolla-tube,  and  alternate 
with  its  lobes. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  four-celled,  only  two  of  the  cells  with 
a  fertile  ovule,  style  bearded. 

Fruit. — Berry,  purplish  red,  ovoid-globose,  three -sixteenths  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  four-celled,  two-seeded,  crowned  by  the 
remnants  of  the  calyx,  insipid,  persistent  after  the  leaves  have 
fallen. 

The  abundance  of  fruit  on  the  Indian  Currant  is  lit- 
tle short  of  marvellous.  The  slender  stems  are  fruit 
bearing  for  five  or  ten  inches  from  the  tip;  the  clusters 


INDIAN   CURRANT 


Indian  Currant,  Symfiboricarpos  vulgaris. 

Leaves  i'  to  \%'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

of  fruit  appear  in  the  axils  of  the  opposite  leaves  and 
are  so  full  and  crowded  that  they  surround  the  stem. 
As  an  example  of  this  remarkable  prolificness,  a  single 
fruiting  stem  seven  inches  long  was  found  to  bear  fif- 
teen double  clusters,  and  each  cluster  had  from  seven 
to  nine  berries,  making  the  total  production  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  currants  upon  an  average  stem  ;  many 
stems  produced  more. 

In  autumn  these  drooping  wands  of  crimson  berries 
adorned  with  leaves  are  most  beautiful, — a  bed  of  them 
enchanting.  Moreover,  these  berries  have  great  stay- 
ing powers;  the  first  heavy  winter  storms  destroy  the 
leaves  which  remain  brown  and  curled  .until  the  winds 
carry  them  away, — but  the  clusters  of  berries  are  ap- 
parently undisturbed  ;  they  neither  darken  nor  shrivel. 
Each  tiny  berry  has  a  crimson  skin,  thin  white  mealy 
flesh,  and  two  white  bony  seeds.  The  birds  find  noth- 
ing desirable  about  them  and  leave  them  entirely  un- 
touched. 

LONICERA.     HONEYSUCKLE 
Lonicera. 

Named  in  honor  of  Adam  Lonitzer,  a  German  herbalist  of 
the  sixteenth  century. 

The  Lonicera  group  commonly  called  honeysuckles 
are  best  known  by  the  climbing  vines  which  adorn  our 
piazzas.  Of  erect  shrubs  Lonicera  tartarica,  the  Tar- 
tarian Honeysuckle  in  its  many  varieties,  is  a  favorite 
and  deservedly  so.  It  was  brought  to  this  country 
from  Asia,  as  its  name  indicates;  and  has  only  here  and 
there  escaped  from  cultivation.  Lonicera  xylosteuin,  the 
Fly-honeysuckle  of  our  gardens,  is  also  an  Asiatic  spe- 

292 


SWAMP   FLY-HONEYSUCKLE 


Swamp  Fly-honeysuckle,  Lonicera  oblongifolia. 

Leave;  %'  to  2'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

cies ;  and  it,  too,  has  sparingly  escaped.  It  looks  not 
unlike  Lonicera  tartarica,  and  bears  its  red  berries  well 
1  past  midsummer.  Lonicera  fragrantissima  is  a  species 
recently  introduced  whose  value  chiefly  lies  in  its 
fragrant  flowers  which  are  produced  in  April.  Mid- 
summer finds  it  a  leafy  bush  of  rather  pale  green 
foliage. 

Our  northern  Lonicera  bushes  are  interesting  but  not 
so  conspicuous  in  flower  and  fruit  as  to  bring  them  very 
generally  into  cultivation.  To  be  known  they  must 
be  sought  in  their  native  wilds.  There  are  four  of 
them,  Lonicera  cozrulea,  Lonicera  oblongifolia,  Lonicera 
ciliata,  and  Lonicera  involucrata. 

Lonicera  involucrata  is  the  largest  of  the  four,  and 
bears  the  largest  leaves ;  its  personal  characteristic  is 
the  involucre  which  surrounds  the  fruit.  It  is  really  a 
Canadian  plant  and  rarely  crosses  our  northern  boun- 
dary. Lonicera  ccerulea  is  probably  named  for  the  curi- 
ous, two-eyed,  blue  berry  which  it  bears.  Lonicera  cili- 
ata  has  a  very  downy  leaf  in  early  spring  and  a  very 
glabrous  one  in  midsummer.  Lonicera  oblongifolia  has 
no  marked  distinguishing  character,  but  is  doing  fairly 
well  in  cultivation,  and  gardeners  are  recommending  it. 
The  Lonicera  fruit  is  a  berry ;  it  may  be  sweet  or  sour, 
but  never  fails  to  be  bitter. 

SWAMP   FLY-HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  oblongifolia. 

An  erect  shrub,  two  to  five  feet  high ;  found  in'  bogs  and 
swamps.  Ranges  from  Quebec  to  Manitoba,  south  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  west  to  Michigan. 

294 


BLUE   HONEYSUCKLE 


Blue  Honeysuckle,  Lonicera  caritlea. 

Leaves  i}4'  to  2'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE   FAMILY 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three-fourths  to 
two  inches  long,  oval-oblong.  Margin  not  ciliate,  myrtle  green 
above  and  gray  green  beneath,  downy,  pubescent  when  young, 
glabrous  when  mature. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Greenish  yellow,  perfect,  half  an  inch 
long,  slightly  purple  within,  borne  on  a  two-flowered  peduncle  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves;  peduncles  long  and  slender;  bracts  mi- 
nute or  deciduous  ;  fragrant,  full  of  nectar. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  ovoid ;  border  slightly 
five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Yellowish  or  purplish  within,  funnel-form,  gibbous  at 
base;  border  deeply  two-lipped,  lower  lip  linear,  upper  lip  erect 
with  four  short  lobes. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla. 

Pistil. — Ovary  two-celled,  ovules  many  ;  style  slender  ;  stigma 
capitate. 

Fruit. — Berry,  crimson  or  purplish,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter ;  two  ovaries  do  not  usually  unite  to  form  the  fruit, 
although  sometimes  they  do. 


BLUE  FLY-HONEYSUCKLE.   MOUNTAIN  FLY-HONEY- 
SUCKLE 

Lonicera  cceridea. 

An  erect  dwarfish  shrub  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  found  in  bogs 
and  low  lands.  Shoots  often  bluish  purple,  pubescent  with  a 
bloom.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Alaska,  south  to  Rhode 
Island,  and  west  to  Wisconsin  ;  also  in  Europe  and  Asia. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined  ;  one  to  one  and 
one-half  inches  long,  oval  or  obovate,  rounded  or  narrowed  at 
base,  entire,  obtuse  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  sparingly  hairy 
above,  ciliate  at  margin,  pubescent  beneath.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — June.  Pale  yellow,  perfect,  irregular,  one-half  to 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  borne  on  a  two-flowered  peduncle 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  ;  peduncles  short  ;  bracts  awl-like. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  ovoid  ;  border  slightly 
five-toothed. 

296 


FLY-HONEYSUCKLE 


Fly-honeysuckle,  Lonicera  canadensis. 
Leaves  i'  to  V  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Corolla. — Funnel-form,  gibbous  at  base ;  border  five-lobed, 
nearly  regular  ;  lobes  longer  than  the  tube. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  corolla. 

Pistil. — Ovary  two-celled,  ovules  many  ;  style  slender  ;  stigma 
capitate. 

Fruit. — Ovaries  of  the  two  flowers  unite  and  form  an  oblong 
or  globose,  bluish,  two-eyed  berry,  half  an  inch  long  and  about 
five-eighths  of  an  inch  across  ;  dark  blue  with  a  pale  blue  bloom  ; 
bitter  acid.  July. 

Loniccra  ccerulca  has  this  unusual  characteristic  ;  it 
produces  two  perfect  flowers  in  order  to  make  one 
berry.  The  flowers  are  twins,  but  the  pistils  are  sep- 
arate, yet  after  the  corollas  have  fallen  the  two  ovaries 
enlarge  and  begin  to  grow  toward  each  other  and 
finally  unite  into  a  single  berry,  which  shows  its 
duplex  origin  by  the  two  tiny  so-called  "  eyes  "  at  its 
apex,  each  of  which  is  the  remnant  of  a  flower  calyx. 
The  double  structure  of  the  berry  is  clearly  seen  by  a 
cross  section,  the  line  of  cleavage  between  the  two 
parts  being  very  distinct.  The  fruit  is  drooping  and 
usually  hidden  under  the  leaves.  Jn  taste  a  bitter  acid, 
with  the  bitter  much  stronger  than  the  acid. 

In  midsummer  the  new  shoots  have  a  bluish  purple 
cast,  which  gives  a  certain  bluish  effect  to  the  bush.  It 
takes  kindly  to  cultivation,  and  is  recommended  by 
gardeners. 

FLY-HONEYSUCKLE 
Lonicera  canadensis.     Lonfcera  cili&ta. 

Three  to  five  feet  high,  bran  chiefs  glabrous  and  marked  with 
elevated  lines  which  descend  from  the  bases  of  the  petioles  ; 
found  in  moist  woods.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Mafti- 
toba,  south  to  Connecticut  and  west  to  Pennsylvania  and  Mich- 
igan. 


TARTARIAN    HONEYSUCKLE 


Tartarian  Honeysuckle,  Lonicera  tartarica. 
Leaves  i'  to  3'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  ovate  or  oval, 
rounded  or  cordate  at  base,  entire,  acute  or  acutish  at  apex. 
Villous-pubescent  when  young,  with  margin  strongly  ciliate, 
glabrous  when  mature. 

Flowers. — May.  Greenish  yellow,  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
long,  perfect,  borne  on  a  two-flowered  peduncle  in  the  axil  of 
the  leaves  ;  peduncles  slender;  bracts  minute. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  ovoid,  united  with  the  ovary  ;  border 
five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Greenish  yellow,  funnel-form  almost  spurred  at  the 
base  ;  border  five-lobed  ;  lobes  nearly  equal. 

Stamens. — -Five,  inserted  on  tube  of  corolla. 

Pistil. — Ovary  two-celled,  ovules  many  ;  style  slender  ;  stigma 
capitate. 

Fruit. — Berries  separate,  red,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter, borne  in  pairs  ;  the  ovaries  do  not  unite. 

TARTARIAN    BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  tartdrica. 

A  glabrous  erect  shrub  three  to  ten  feet  high.  A  native  of 
Asia  and  common  in  cultivation  ;  has  escaped  quite  extensively. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  one  to  three 
inches  long,  oval,  oblong  or  ovate,  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at 
base,  margin  entire,  not  ciliate,  apex  acute  or  obtuse. 

Flowers.- — May.  Pink  to  white,  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long, 
perfect,  solitary  or  in  pairs,  borne  on  a  long,  slender  peduncle  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves ;  bracts  linear,  often  as  long  as  the  corolla 
tube. 

Calyx. — Tubular,  five- toothed. 

Corolla. — Pink  to  white.  Tube  slender,  with  a  peculiar  en- 
largement at  the  base  which  is  dark  pink  when  the  rest  of  the 
tube  is  pale  pink  ;  border  irregularly  and  deeply  five-lobed  and 
somewhat  two-lipped  ;  upper  lip  three-lobed,  lower  lip  two-lobed. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  tube  of  the  corolla. 

Pistil. — Ovary  two  to  three-celled  ;  style  slender  ;  stigma  cap- 
itate. 

Fruit. — Berries  separate,  red  or  yellow,  abundant,  ornamental. 
July,  August. 

300 


TARTARIAN    HONEYSUCKLE 


Tartarian  Honeysuckle,  Lonicera  tarta/ica,  in  fruit. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 


The  Tartarian  Honeysuckles  are  most  attractive 
bushes.  One  of  their  best  features  is  the  graceful  out- 
line of  a  finely-grown  individual  when  the  branches 
bend  outward  and  downward  almost  to  the  grass.  The 
flowers  of  the  different  varieties  are  white,  pink,  rose, 
or  deep  red,  and  possess  a  pleasant  fragrance.  They 
come  into  leaf  early  ;  the  foliage  is  luxuriant  and  re- 
mains until  late  in  the  autumn  ;  and  the  red  or  orange 
berries  are  very  abundant  and  extremely  ornamental. 
The  berries  have  the  translucent  appearance  of  cur- 
rants ;  in  flavor  they  are  a  sweetish  bitter,  with  the 
bitter  inclined  to  remain  somewhat  unduly  in  the 
mouth.  The  birds  seem  to  eat  them  very  little,  con- 
sequently they  adorn  the  bushes  for  a  considerable 
period. 

INVOLUCRED   FLY-HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  invohtcrata. 


Northern  shrub,  three  to  five  feet  high  ; 
branches  four-angular ;  found  in  deep  woods. 
Ranges  from  Quebec  to  British  Columbia  and 
Alaska,  rarely  comes  within  the  borders  of  the 
United  States. 

Stems. — Oldest  stems  are  gray  and  ragged, 
the  growing  shoots  yellow.  Stems  gray. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined, 
two  to  six  inches  long,  oblong,  ovate,  oval  or 
obovate,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base,  en- 
tire, acute  or  acuminate  at  apex ;  pubescent 
when  young.  Petioles  short,  dark  green  above, 
paler  beneath. 

flowers. — June,  July.  Yellowish,  perfect, 
borne  on  a  two  to  three-flowered  peduncle  in 

302 


Leaf  of  Involucred 
Fly-honeysuckle. 


BUSH   HONEYSUCKLE 


Bush  Honeysuckle,  Diercilla  diercilla. 

Leaves  2'  to  5'  long. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Involucre  of  four  conspicuous  and  leafy 
bracts  which  at  length  surround  the  fruit. 

Calyx, — Tube  adherent  to  the  ovary,  slightly  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Yellowish,  funnel-form,  one-half  to  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  long,  viscid-pubescent  ;  border  five-lobed. 

Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  tube  of  corolla. 

Pistils. — Ovary  two  or  three-celled,  style  slender  ;  stigma  capi- 
tate. 

Fruit. — Berries  separate,  globose  or  oval,  nearly  black,  about 
one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 


DIERVILLA.     COMMON    BUSH    HONEYSUCKLE 

Diervilla  trifida.     Diervilla  diervilla. 

Diervilla,  in  honor  of  Diervilla,  a  French  surgeon  who  sent 
the  plant  to  Tournefort. 

A  low  shrub,  two  to  four  feet  high.  Often  forms  dense,  low 
masses  of  shrubbery  on  the  borders  of  the  forest.  Ranges  from 
Newfoundland  to  the  Saskatchewan,  and  through  the  northern 
states  to  North  Carolina  and  Michigan. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  two  to  five  inches 
long,  ovate  or  oval,  rounded  at  base,  irregularly  crenulate-ser- 
rate,  slightly  ciliate,  acuminate  at  apex.  Dark  green,  glabrous 
above,  paler  green  and  glabrous  beneath ;  midvein  and  primary 
veins  prominent. 

Flowers. — -May,  June.  Perfect,  small,  yellowish,  mostly  in 
three- flowered  clusters  which  are  either  terminal,  or  in  the  axils 
of  the  upper  leaves. 

Calyx. — Tube  long,  slender,  adnate  to  ovary  ;  border  with 
five  linear,  persistent  lobes. 

Corolla. — Narrowly  funnel-form,  tube  slightly  gibbous  at  the 
base  ;  border  nearly  regular,  five-lobed,  honey  yellow  or  green- 
ish yellow,  downy  externally,  hairy  within. 

Stamens. — Five,  exserted,  inserted  on  the  corolla  ;  anthers 
Hnear. 

304 


WEIGELA 


Weigela,  Dier-cilla  rosea. 


HONEYSUCKLE    FAMILY 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  two-celled  ;  ovules'  numerous  ;  style 
thread-like  ;  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  glabrous,  linear-oblong,  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  long,  slender,  beaked,  crowned  with  the  five  calyx-lobes; 
two-valved,  many-seeded.  September. 

There  are  three  species  of  Diervillas  native  to  east- 
ern United  States,  of  which  the  Bush  Honeysuckle  is 
the  northern  species.  It  does  not  equal  the  cultivated 
forms  in  attractiveness  and  consequently  is  neglected. 


WEIGELA 

Diervllla  rosea. 
Weigela,  in  honor  of  Weigel,  a  German  botanist. 

The  Weigela  of  our  gardens  was  discovered  in  China 
in  1844  by  Robert  Fortune.  The  first  specimen  which 
he  saw  is  described  as  growing  in  a  Mandarin's  garden 
on  the  island  of  Chusan  and  characterized  as  a  bush 
covered  with  rose-colored  flowers  which  hung  in  clus- 
ters from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  and  the  ends  of  the 
branches.  "  I  immediately  marked  it  as  one  of  the 
finest  plants  in  northern  China  and  determined  to  send 
plants  of  it  home  in  every  ship  until  I  should  hear  of 
its  safe  arrival."  From  this  beginning  the  Weigela 
has  made  its  way  until  now  it  is  one  of  the  most  prized 
of  ornamental  shrubs. 

The  bush  has  a  tendency  to  straggling  growth  which 
may  be  wisely  suppressed  ;  but  to  get  the  best  results 
it  should  be  allowed  a  fair  degree  of  freedom,  and  then 
its  graceful,  curving  branches  laden  with  flowers  al- 
most if  not  quite  reach  the  ground. 

306 


WEIGELA 

The  dealers'  catalogues  now  advertise  varieties  in 
great  numbers,  but  Dicrvilla  rosca,  the  plant  of  Mr. 
Fortune's  devotion,  is  still  the  best  known,  and  although 
the  varieties  differ  from  the  type  they  have  not  yet 
surpassed  it. 


RUBIACE^E— MADDER    FAMILY 

BUTTON-BUSH.     HONEY  BALLS 

Ccphalanth  us   occidenlalis. 

Cephalanthus,  of  Greek  derivation,  from  cephale,  head,  and 
anthos,  a  flower  ;  the  flowers  growing  in  heads. 

Strong,  vigorous,  erect  shrub,  varying  from  four  to  fifteen  feet 
high  ;  stem  often  contorted  ;  found  on  the  banks  of  slow-flowing 
streams  and  growing  in  swamps.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick 
to  western  Ontario  and  south  to  Florida,  Texas  and  Arizona  ; 
also  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Root  large,  stout,  often  contorted. 

Bark. — Dark  gray,  cracked,  flaky,  surface  plates  thin  and 
loose,  even  on  small  branches.  Branchlets  at  first  brownish 
green  or  reddish  brown,  later  pale  dull  brown,  finally  dark 
ashen  gray. 

Leaves. — Opposite  or  in  threes,  simple,  three  to  six  inches 
long,  oblong-oval  or  ovate,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
entire,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex  ;  midvein,  primary  and 
secondary  veins  depressed  above,  very  prominent  beneath  ;  when 
full  grown  are  thick,  dark  shining  green  above,  paler,  sometimes 
downy,  beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  dull  yellow  or  fall  with 
little  change  of  color.  Petioles  one-half  to  one  inch  long,  stout, 
grooved,  sometimes  twisted.  Stipules  short,  connecting  the 
bases  of  opposite  leaf  stems. 

Flowers. — July,  August.  Perfect,  white,  fragrant,  tubular, 
sessile,  borne  in  dense  spherical  heads  at  the  extremities  of  the 
branches  ;  often  in  groups  of  threes  ;  heads  exclusive  of  styles 
about  an  inch  in  diameter  ;  filled  with  nectar.  Peduncles  one  to 
two  inches  long.  Remain  in  bloom  a  long  time. 


BUTTON    BUSH 


Button  Bush,  Cepbalantbits  ocddmtalis. 


Leaves  }'  to  (/  lonj.     Flower  balls  i'  to 


in  diameter  exclusive  of  styles. 


Calyx. — Tubular,  four-sided,  four-toothed,  hairy. 

Corolla. — White,  tubular,  twice  as  long  as  the  calyx,  hairy 
within,  four-toothed  ;  teeth  imbricate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Four,  borne  on  the  tube  of  the  corolla,  alternate 
with  the  lobes,  scarcely  exserted;  anthers  bicuspidate  at  base. 

Pistil. — Ovary  adnate  to  the  calyx,  two  to  four-celled ;  style 
much  exserted,  long  and  thread-like  ;  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — A  ball  made  up  of  many  small  capsules  crowded  to- 
gether and  each  containing  one  or  two  seeds. 

The  Button-bush  is  a  widely  distributed  plant,  found 
growing  by  the  side  of  standing  water,  often  ventur- 
ing in,  and  always  loving  the  water  about  its  roots. 
The  leaves  are  large,  rather  coarse  in  texture,  bright 
green  and  shining. 

The  flowers  are  the  plant's  distinctive  attraction. 
It  is  apparent  that  the  sphere  is  a  common  type  of 
fruit-forms, — the  apple,  the  cherry,  the  grape,  the  num- 
berless capsules  and  seed-cases  of  spherical  form  attest 
the  fact ;  but  it  is  not  often  that  nature  achieves  a 
sphere  in  a  flower  or  flower  cluster.  Yet  the  flower 
cluster  of  the  Button-bush  is  a  perfect  globe,  with 
thread-like  styles  protruding  from  every  side.  This 
little  globe  is  made  up  of  scores  of  tiny  cream-white 
blossoms  all  crowded  upon  a  central  axis,  and  each 
one  so  full  of  nectar  and  so  loved  by  the  bees  that  one 
of  the  common  country  names  of  the  bush  is  Honey 
Balls. 

The  plant  is  much  used  in  European  gardens,  where 
the  singularity  of  its  flowering  habit  and  its  late  season 
of  bloom  recommend  it  to  planters.  With  us  it  is 
found  by  almost  every  roadside  and  should  be  pro- 
tected and  cherished. 

3SO 


COMPOSITE-COMPOSITE   FAMILY 

GROUNDSEL-TREE 
Bdccharis  halimifblia. 

Baccharis,  the  name  of  a  shrub  anciently  dedicated  to  Bac- 
chus ;  without  significance  in  its  present  use. 

A  branching  glabrous  shrub,  three  to  nine  feet  high,  the 
branchlets  angled,  sometimes  minutely  scurfy  ;  found  on  the  sea- 
beaches,  along  salt  marshes  and  tidal  rivers,  extending  inland 
beyond  saline  influences.  Ranges  from  Massachusetts  to  Florida 
and  Texas. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  three-nerved,  midvein  most  promi- 
nent, one  to  three  inches  long,  obovate  or  oblong,  short-petioled 
or  sessile,  entire  or  few-toothed  toward  the  apex.  Leaves  on  the 
flowering  spray  smaller  than  the  others ;  when  full  grown  are 
thick,  bright  green,  glabrous.  In  autumn  ney  turn  yellow  or 
fall  with  little  change  of  color;  persist  until  beaten  offby  first 
winter  storms. 

Flowers. — September,  October.  Dioecious.  Calyx-tube  adnate 
to  ovary,  the  limb  bristled;  corolla  tubular,  five-lobed  ray  flow- 
ers absent;  stamens  five  ;  ovary  one-celled  ;  style  of  fertile  flow- 
ers two-cleft.  In  heads  of  terminal  peduncled  clusters  of  two  to 
five  ;  those  of  the  sterile  plant  nearly  globose  when  young ;  the 
bracts  of  the  involucre  oblong-ovate,  obtuse,  glutinous,  appressed; 
the  inner  ones  of  the  pistillate  heads  lanceolate,  acute  or  acutish. 

Fruit. — Achenes,  with  bright  white  pappus,  one-fourth  to  one- 
half  an  inch  long;  in  two  series  of  capillary  bristles,  much  ex- 
ceeding the  involucre. 

The  Groundsel-tree,  Baccharis  halimi/olia,  is  now  conspicuous  with  its 
long,  white,  silky  pappus.  Although  it  belongs  to  the  largest  order  of  flow- 

311 


COMPOSITE    FAMILY 

ering  plants,  it  is  the  only  one  in  this  vast  order  in  our  temperate  climate 
that  attains  the  dignity  of  treehood.  In  the  Pines  it  grows  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen feet  in  height,  and  in  autumn  is  a  very  marked  feature  of  the  landscape. 
The  abundant  pure  white  pappus  with  which  the  plant  is  enshrouded  at  a 
little  distance  looks  like  a  mass  of  white  flowers  strangely  out  of  season  in 
their  rich  setting  of  autumnal  foliage. 

— MARY  TREAT,  in  Garden  and  Forest. 
Vineland,  N.  J.,  November  17,  1888. 

Shrubs  which  are  in  full  bloom  during  the  first  weeks 
of  October  are  not  plentiful  in  our  climate  ;  the  mus- 
ter roll  includes  the  althaeas,  the  hardy  hydrangeas, 
the  witch  hazel  and  the  groundsel-tree,  together  with 
sundry  late  blooming  roses.  The  Groundsel-tree  is 
valued  for  its  fluffy  fruit  rather  than  for  its  inconspicu- 
ous flowers  ;  but  any  bloom  at  this  period  is  welcome. 
It  belongs  to  the  Composite,  the  family  of  the  asters, 
the  daisies,  the  goldenrods  and  the  sunflowers.  The 
individual  blossoms  are  minute  and  are  gathered  to- 
gether in  small  heads  without  ray  flowers,  conse- 
quently are  inconspicuous. 

The  plant  is  dioecious,  that  is,  the  pistillate  and  the 
staminate  flowers  are  borne  on  different  bushes.  This 
is  a  kind  of  division  of  labor  in  the  vegetable  world; 
many  trees  are  of  this  nature,  notably  the  willows. 
The  particular  and  gratifying  characteristic  of  the 
Groundsel-tree  is  that  it  is  possible  to  plant  two  bushes 
side  by  side,  watch  them  flourish  throughout  the  sum- 
mer and  when  blooming  time  comes  in  September,  see 
one  put  forth  its  clusters  of  tiny  pistillate  flowers  which 
look  like  little  green  buds  with  a  pale  top  ;  and  the 
other  put  forth  its  staminate  clusters  which  differ  from 
the  first  only  that  the  tops  are  a  little  more  conspicu- 
ous. In  the  course  of  time,  one  green  bush  bears  a 

312 


GROUNDSEL-TREE 


Groundsel-tree,  Baccbaris  balinnfolia. 

Leaves  i'  to  3'  long.     Spray  at  the  lift,  pistillate  ;  at  the  right,  starriiute. 


W& 


COMPOSITE    FAMILY 

few  dry  remnants  of  flowers,  the  other  bursts  into  a 
mass  of  fluffy  white.  All  this  can  go  on  by  the  side  of 
the  garden  walk  and  so  clearly  that  he  who  runs  to 
catch  a  suburban  car  may  note  and  understand. 

This  fluffy  appearance  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  each  small  seed  after 
the  fashion  of  so  many  of  its  family 
is  a  wind  traveller;  and  is  provided 
with  means  for  its  long  journey  in 
the  shape  of  a  feathery  parachute 
made  up  of  many  white  hairs,  which 
makes  a  brave  show  upon  the  bush 
and  finally  takes  the  wings  of  the 
wind  and  sails  away  bearing  the  seed  to  "  distant 
homes  and  unpeopled  lands." 

The  shrub  is  a  native  of  sea-beaches  and  salt 
marshes,  yet  will  grow  almost  anywhere;  obviously, 
after  a  plant  has  acquired  the  ability  to  live  on  the 
seacoast,  any  other  location  must  be  an  improvement. 
It  bears  close  pruning  and  is  a  good  ornamental  shrub. 


Fruit  of  Groundsel-tree. 


3*4 


VACCINIACE^E  — HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

HUCKLEBERRY 

"  The  huckleberries  and  cranberries  take  the  place  throughout 
the  northern  part  of  this  continent  of  the  heaths  of  the  corre- 
sponding climates  of  Europe;  and  fill  it  with  not  less  of  beauty, 
and  incomparably  more  of  use." 

— GEORGE  B.  EMERSON. 

"  The  huckleberry  grows  a  second  crop — a  crop  of  color.  It 
is  twice  blessed — it  blesses  him  that  eats  and  him  that  sees." 

— BRADFORD  TORREY.    . 

11  The  name  huckleberry  is  applied  as  a  generic  term  to  cover 
the  fruit  of  all  species  of  the  two  genera,  Gaylussacia  and  Vac- 
ciniitm.  In  a  restricted  sense  it  is  used  locally  to  designate  one 
or  more  species  of  the  former  genus,  the  name  blueberry  being 
then  applied  to  fruit  of  Vacdnium  species.  In  other  cases  the 
term  huckleberry  is  applied  to  black-fruited  species  of  either 
genus.  The  more  general  custom  is  to  apply  the  name  huckle- 
berry to  the  fruit  of  all. 

"The  most  important  difference  between  these  two  genera  is 
that  in  Gaylussacia  the  fruit  is  ten-celled,  each  cell  containing  a 
single  seed,  or  properly  a  little  stone,  while  in  Vaccinium  there 
are  several  seeds  in  each  cell,  these  being  small,  and  the  fruit 
forming  a  pulpy  berry.  The  seeds  of  the  former,  while  less 
numerous  are  far  more  troublesome  than  those  of  the  latter.  The 
leaves  and  branchlets  of  Gaylussacia  are  clammy  with  resinous 

dots  when  young." 

—FRED.  W.  CARD. 


HUCKLEBERRY   FAMILY 

The  Huckleberry  family  does  not  differ  widely 
from  the  Heath  family  in  respect  to  its  leaves  or  its 
flowers;  but  in  respect  to  its  fruit, — bird  and  beast 
and  man  will  assert  in  chorus  that  the  difference  is 
very  great.  For  the  huckleberry  and  the  blueberry 
have  ministered  to  the  comfort  of  the  birds  and  the 
refreshment  of  mankind  for  ages.  The  obvious  differ- 
ence between  the  two  in  popular  estimation  is  that  the 
huckleberry  fruit  is  more  "seedy"  than  that  of  the 
blueberry  and  consequently  not  so  desirable  for  table 
use.  As  Professor  Card  so  admirably  explains,  this 
popular  opinion  is  based  upon  a  structural  difference 
in  the  fruit  of  the  two  genera. 

The  Vacciniacece  seem,  so  far,  to  have  successfully7  re- 
sisted all  efforts  at  domestication.  From  time  to  time 
we  read  that  some  one  has  transferred  a  few  bushes  to 
his  garden  and  that  they  have  done  well  there  ;  but 
oftener  we  hear  and  sometimes  we  see  that  trans- 
planted bushes  do  not  do  well.  It  is  probable  that  the 
untamed  spirit  of  these  wild  creatures  might  be  broken, 
were  it  worth  while  ;  but  there  is  a  more  excellent 
way.  The  farmers  have  learned  this  in  Michigan  and 
in  Maine  and  possibly  elsewhere.  The  method  is  very 
simple — it  consists  in  withdrawing  grazing  animals 
from  fields  where  the  Vacciniace&tte,  native,  permitting 
the  bushes  to  take  undisturbed  possession  ;  and  then 
about  once  in  five  years  burning  the  tract.  Of  course, 
the  first  year  after  the  burning  there  is  no  crop,  but  in 
the  second  year  the  crop  is  enormous.  As  the  demand 
for  the  fruit  is  steady,  there  seems  no  reason  in  the 
nature  of  things  why  careful  and  systematic  treatment 
of  natural  blueberry  lands  should  not  be  profitable. 

316 


DANGLEBERRY 


Dangleberry,  Gaylnssacia  frondosa. 
Leaves  ij£'  to  ^y^'  long.     Fruit  J//  i.i  dumeter. 


HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

DANGLEBERRY.  TANGLEBERRY 

Gaylusscicia  frondbsa. 
Gaylussacia,  named  in  honor  of  the  chemist,  Gay-Lussac. 

A  spreading  bush,  three  to  six  feet  high,  found  in  moist  situa- 
tions by  the  side  of  lakes  and  at  the  edge  of  woods.  Ranges 
from  New  Hampshire  to  Florida,  westward  to  Ohio  and  south- 
west to  Louisiana. 

Stems. — Branches  slender  and  divergent ;  recent  shoots  and 
fruit  stalks  pale  green  or  pale  reddish  yellow ;  branches  and 
stems  are  of  a  mahogany  or  bronze  color,  covered  with  a  pearly 
epidermis. 

Leaves. — Oblong,  oval  or  obovate,  one  and  one-half  to  two 
and  one-half  inches  long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire,  slightly 
revolute,  obtuse  or  acute,  with  a  callous  point  at  apex.  When 
full  grown  are  thin,  pale  green,  glabrous  above,  glabrous  or 
downy,  pale  or  glaucous  below,  and  sprinkled  with  minute 
resinous  dots;  midvein,  primary  and  secondary  veins  prominent 
beneath.  Autumnal  tints  are  scarlet,  crimson,  and  orange. 
Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  few,  greenish  pink  bells, 
borne  on  drooping  pedicels  one  to  three  inches  long  which  form 
a  loose  raceme.  Each  pedicel  has  a  bract  at  base  and  two 
minute  opposite  bracts  half  way  up. 

Calyx. — Calyx-tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Broad,  bell-shaped,  one-eighth  of  an  inch  long, 
with  five  short  angular  teeth  completely  reflexed. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included  ;  filaments  smooth,  shorter  than  the 
anthers;  anthers  awnless,  tapering  upward  into  tubes;  cells 
opening  by  a  terminal  pore. 

Pistil. — Ovary  adnate  to  calyx,  ten-celled,  with  one  ovule  in 
each  cell ;  style  as  long  as  the  corolla. 

Fruit, — Berry-like  drupe,  globose,  dark  blue  with  a  glaucous 
bloom,  about  one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  sweet;  nutlets 
ten.  July,  August. 

The  Dangleberry  may  be  easily  known  by  its  large 
pale  leaves  which  are  glaucous  beneath,  and  its  loose 

318 


HIGH-BUSH    HUCKLEBERRY 


High-bush  Huckleberry,  Garliissacia  resinosa. 

Leaves  i'  to  2'  long.     Fruit  #'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY    FAMILY 

drooping  racemes  of  flowers  or  of  fruit.  When 
neither  in  flower  nor  in  leaf  the  reddish  yellow  wood 
of  the  new  growth  and  the  peeling,  ashy  gray  bark 
serve  as  determining  characters.  The  fruit  has  little 
value  at  the  north,  but  in  a  milder  climate  is  said  to 
improve  considerably  in  quality. 

BLACK   OR    HIGH-BUSH    HUCKLEBERRY 

Gaylussdcia  resinbsa. 

An  erect  shrub  one  to  three  feet  high,  branching  freely  with 
irregular  straggling  spray.  Found  on  rocky  hills  and  sandy 
ridges  from  Newfoundland  to  Georgia,  westward  to  Wisconsin 
and  Kentucky.  Flowers  and  leaves  densely  covered  with  res- 
inous dots.  Species  varies  considerably. 

Steins. — Young  shoots  downy,  often  deep  red.  Stems  mahog- 
any color  beneath  a  pearly  epidermis.  Winter  buds  small, 
bright  red. 

Leaves. — Oval  or  oblong,  rarely  obovate,  one  to  two  inches 
long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex, 
mucronulate.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  shining, 
covered  with  minute  resinous  globules,  pale  green  above  and 
below  ;  when  full  grown  they  are  profusely  covered  with  dots 
of  yellow  resin  which  give  a  yellowish  flush  to  the  tinder-sur- 
face. Autumnal  tints  are  purplish,  crimson  and  orange.  Petiole 
short. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Reddish  yellow  bells,  borne  on  short 
one-sided  racemes,  on  terminal  and  axillary  branches.  Flower 
buds  heavily  covered  with  resinous  dots. 

Calyx. — Resinous;  tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Ovoid  conical  or  cylindric,  five-angled,  contracted 
at  the  mouth,  dull  red  sometimes  touched  with  yellow,  five- 
toothed  ;  teeth  acute,  slightly  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included,  filaments  ciliate,  anthers  awnless, 
two-celled  ;  cells  prolonged  into  tubes  opening  by  a  pore  al 
apex. 

320 


DWARF    HUCKLEBERRY 


Dwarf  Huckleberry,  Garlussacii  dumosa. 

Leaves  i'  to  \%'  long.     Fruit  %'  to  >/$'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY   FAMILY 


Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  ten-celled,  one  ovule  in  each  cell, 
many  of  which  abort  in  fruit. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  black,  shining,  without  bloom, 
sweet,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter;  nutlets  ten.  July, 
August. 

Gaylussacia  rcsinosa  produces  the  common  huckle- 
berry of  the  markets.  The  fruit  is  sweet,  firm,  and 
shining  black  in  color.  There  are 
.varieties  which  vary  considerably 
from  the  type  in  respect  to  fruit ; 
one  has  very  sweet  pear-shaped  ber- 
ries ;  another  has  glaucous  leaves, 
and  fruit  covered  with  a  glaucous 
bloom  ;  a  third  has  large  bluish  ber- 
ries ;  and  a  fourth  has  white  berries. 
A  species  that  so  naturally  divides 
into  varieties  would  probably  yield 
very  readily  to  cultivation  and  pro- 
duce a  variety  of  superior  fruit.  The 
bush  is  now  offered  for  sale  as  an  ornamental  shrub 
and  gardeners  report  that  it  is  growing  in  favor. 

DWARF    HUCKLEBERRY 

Gaylussacia    dumbsa. 

A  shrub  one  to  two  feet  high,  from  a  creeping  base,  found  in 
swamps.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Florida  and  Louisiana. 

Stems. — Recent  branches  brownish  downy,  and  somewhat 
viscid  with  a  few  glandular  hairs.  Stems  and  older  branches 
ashen  gray.  Winter  buds  red. 

Leaves. — Sessile,  obovate-oblong,  or  oblanceolate,  an  inch  to 
an  inch  and  a  half  long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire,  ciliate 
with  glandular  hairs,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex,  and  ending  in  a 
small  awl-like  point ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  green,  thick 

322 


High-bush  Huckleberry, 
in  flower. 


BOX    HUCKLEBERRY 

and  shining  above,  pale  green,  glabrous  or  downy  beneath,  and 
conspicuously  sprinkled  with  resinous  dots  above  and  below  ; 
midvein  and  primary  veins  deeply  depressed  above.  Autumnal 
tints  purplish,  scarlet,  and  orange. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  white,  pink  or  red  bells, 
borne  in  rather  loose  racemes.  Bracts  leaf-like,  oval,  persistent, 
as  long  as  the  pedicels. 

Calyx. — Glandular,  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed ;  teeth 
acute  and  fringed. 

Corolla. — White,  pink  or  red,  bell-shaped,  five-angled,  five- 
toothed  ;  teeth  short  and  somewhat  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten  ;  filaments  downy  ;  anthers  long,  awnless, 
two-celled  ;  cells  prolonged  into  tubes  opening  at  the  apex. 

Pistil, — Ovary  inferior,  ten-celled,  each  cell  containing  one 
ovule  ;  style  long  and  slender. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  depressed  globose,  black  and  shin- 
ing, about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  rather  insipid  ; 
nutlets  ten.  August. 

The  Dwarf  Huckleberry,  a  small  shrub  from  a  creep- 
ing base,  is  not  very  abundant,  nor  is  its  fruit  very 
good.  Leaves,  branchlets,  flower  stems  and  calyx  are 
sprinkled  with  glandular  and  resinous  dots. 

BOX    HUCKLEBERRY 
Gaylussacia   brachycera. 

A  low  shrub,  six  to  fifteen  inches  high ; 
branches  erect ;  twigs  smooth  ;  leaves  resembling 
those  of  the  box.  In  dry  woods,  from  Delaware 
and  Pennsylvania  to  Virginia. 

Leaves. — Evergreen,  thick,  leathery,  smooth, 
not  resinous,  oval  or  oblong,  one-half  to  one  inch 
long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  crenate-serrate,  some- 
what revolute,  obtuse  or  acute  at  margin.  Petioles 

short.  ^°x   Huckleberry, 

..       .  .  •    i     i     11        •  Gaylussacia  bra - 

Flowers. — May.  Small  white  or  pink  bells,  in  efyeera.  After 
few-flowered  racemes.  Bntton&  Brown. 

323 


HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

DWARF  BLUEBERRY.  LOW-BUSH  BLUEBERRY 

Vacdnium  pennsylvanicum. 

A  low  bush,  six  inches  to  two  feet  high,  found  in  dry,  rocky, 
or  sandy  soil  and  often  fringing  wet  lands.  Ranges  from  New- 
foundland to  southern  New  Jersey  and  westward  to  Illinois  and 
Michigan. 

Stems. — Shoots  green,  branchlets  a  little  angular,  bark  light 
green,  warty  with  whitish  dots  ;  stems  reddish  purple.  Winter 
buds  quite  large,  reddish  purple. 

Leaves. — Oblong  or  ovate-lanceolate,  three-fourths  to  an  inch 
and  a  half  long,  acute  at  both  ends,  minutely  serrate,  rather  thick 
texture,  terminating  in  a  callous  tip.  They  come  out  of  the  bud 
revolute,  deeply  tinged  with  red,  which  color  they  retain  for  a 
considerable  time  ;  when  full  grown  are  glabrous  and  shining 
above,  smooth  or  slightly  downy  on  the  veins  below  ;  finely  and 
markedly  reticulate.  Autumnal  tint  scarlet  and  crimson  ;  fall 
early. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  White  bells,  borne  in  few-flowered 
racemes.  Bracts  reddish. 

Calyx. — Adnate  to  ovary,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Oblong,  bell-shaped,  slightly  contracted  at  the  throat, 
white  or  pinkish,  five-toothed  :  teeth  acute  ;  slightly  reflexed. 

Stamens. — Ten  ;  filaments  short,  hairy ;  upwardly  prolonged 
into  tubes ;  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  ovules  several  ;  style  even  with  corolla. 

Fruit. — Globular  berry,  one-fourth  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
in  diameter,  blue  with  a  bloom;  very  sweet.  The  earliest  of  the 
blueberries. 

This  lowest  and  earliest  of  the  blueberries  delights  in  a  thin,  sandy  soil, 
and  carpets  the  ground  in  the  openings  in  the  pitch-pine  woods  with  beds  of 
rich  soft  green,  which  in  May  and  June  are  decked  with  a  profusion  of 
beautiful  flowers  ;  in  July  and  August  are  loaded  with  delicious  fruit,  and  in 
October  turn  to  deep  scarlet  and  crimson. 

From  its  situation  and  exposure  the  berries  ripen  earlier  than  those  of 
any  other  species.  They  are  soft  and  easily  injured  in  bringing  to  market, 
and  liable  when  in  mass  to  speedy  decay. 

— GEORGE  B.  EMERSON. 

324 


DWARF    BLUEBERRY 


Dwarf  Blueberry,  Vaccimum  pennsvl-oanicnm. 
t-eaves  K'  1°  'H'  long      Fruit  VS  '°  H'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY   FAMILY 

Vaccinhini  pcnnsylvanicum  is  a  dwarf,  straggling  bush, 
climbing  to  rocky  heights  or  carpeting  dry,  sandy 
places.  In  winter  its  large,  scaly,  flower  buds  are  easily 
distinguished  from  the  leaf  buds.  The  flowers  appear 
a  little  before  the  leaves  and  are  followed  by  large,  pale 
blue,  delicious  berries,  ripe  by  the  last  of  June  or  in 
early  July. 

The    immature    clusters    of    fruit  crowding   at    the 
very   tips   of    the  branches  form    a    most    enchanting 
combination  of  green,  pink,  pur- 
ple, and  blue. 

The  Canadian  Blueberry,  Vac- 
ciniitin  canadcnse,  is  a  dwarf  shrub 
resembling  Vaccinium  pennsylvani- 
cum, but  with  broader  and  more 
downy  leaves.  The  fruit  is  blue- 
black  and  ripens  later  than  the 

Dwarf  Blueberry,  in  flower.  T->  i         i  T  ..     •       ,  i         i 

common  Blueberry.  It  is  the  last 

Blueberry  to  appear  in  the  market  and  is  most  abun- 
dant in  the  British  provinces. 

Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum  angustifolium  is  a  subarctic 
form  with  narrower  leaves,  found  on  the  summits  of 
the  White  Mountains,  on  the  Adirondacks,  at  Quebec 
and  northward. 

Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum  nigrum  is  a  variety  with  a 
rounder  bell  than  that  of  the  type  ;  the  berry  black 
without  bloom.  It  flowers  a  little  earlier  than  the 
type. 


326 


LOW    BLUEBERRY 


Low  Blueberry,  l/actininm  vacfllaiis. 

Leaves   i'  to  2%'  long.     Kruit   ,V  to  #'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

LOW  BLUEBERRY.  BLUE  HUCKLEBERRY 

Vaccinium  vacillans. 

A  stiff  shrub,  six  inches  to  four  feet  high,  found  in  dry,  sandy 
soil.  Ranges  from  New  Hampshire  to  North  Carolina  and  west 
to  Michigan. 

Stems. — Branchlets  and  smaller  spray  red  or  pink  and  con- 
trasting in  color  with  the  yellowish  green  or  pale  gray  of  the  twigs 
and  branches.  Winter  buds  red. 

Leaves. — Obovate,  oval  or  broadly  oblong,  one  to  two  and 
one-half  inches  long,  narrowed  or  rounded  at  base,  entire  or 
sparingly  or  minutely  serrulate,  acute  or  acuminate,  with  a  small 
bristle  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  revolute,  dull  green 
tinged  with  red,  which  color  they  remain  for  some  time  ;  when 
full  grown  are  dull  light  green,  glabrous  above,  pale  or  glaucous 
beneath.  Autumnal  tint  scarlet  and  crimson. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Pink  or  greenish  white  bells  about 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  long,  borne  in  racemose  clusters  ;  appear 
before  the  leaves  are  half-grown. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Pink  or  white,  oblong-cylindric,  somewhat  con- 
stricted at  the  throat. 

Stamens. — Ten.  filaments  slightly  hairy,  anthers  extending 
into  long  tubes  ;  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior;  ovules  several. 

fruit. — Globular  berry,  blue  with  a  bloom,  sweet,  delicious 
flavor.  Ripening  somewhat  later  than  Vaccinium  pennsylvani- 
cum.  July  to  September.  A  variety  with  white  fruit  is  known. 

Mr.  Jackson  Dawson  of  the  Arnold  Arboretum  de- 
scribes this  Blueberry  as  follows  : 

"  The  Low  Blueberry,  Vaccinium  vacillans,  is  a  shrub 
from  one  to  three  feet  high,  with  a  yellowish  green 
stem  and  glaucous  leaves,  usually  growing  on  high 
rocky  ground  and  at  the  edge  of  woods.  It  bears  an 
abundance  of  large  sweet  berries  which  are  chiefly 

328 


HIGH-BUSH    BLUEBERRY 

covered  with  a  blue  bloom,  though  I  have  found  black 
varieties.  The  fruit  and  flowers  are  formed  at  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  last  year's  growth,  which  is  from  one 
to  four  inches  long  without  leaves,  so  that  a  large 
part  of  the  plant  seems  leafless.  The  ends  of  the 
branches  are  covered  with  fruit,  however,  which  can 
be  stripped  off  by  the  handful.  As  it  is  very  prolific, 
the  flowers  of  this  species  in  May  look  much  richer 
and  more  abundant  than  those  of  any  of  the  others. 
The  fruit  is  ripe  from  late  July  to  September.  The 
plant  is  well  worth  cultivation  as  an  ornamental  shrub, 
and  for  its  valuable  fruit." 

Vaccinium  racillans  may  be  distinguished  from  Vac- 
cinium pcnnsyhanicnm  as  a  larger  bush.  The  leaves 
are  twice  as  large  at  least,  dull  green  above,  paler  or 
distinctly  glaucous  beneath.  The  fruit  begins  to 
ripen  when  the  best  of  Vaccinium  pcnnsyk'anicujn  is 
past.  The  berries  are  very  similar;  possibly  those  of 
Vaccinium  vacillans  are  not  quite  so  juicy  or  so  sweet 
as  the  others. 


HIGH-BUSH    BLUEBERRY.      TALL    BLUEBERRY. 
SWAMP  BLUEBERRY 

Vaccinium  corymbbsum. 

A  shrub  six  to  fifteen  feet  high,  forming  large,  handsome 
clumps  in  swamps  and  moist  woods.  Ranges  from  Newfound- 
land to  Virginia,  west  to  Minnesota.  Has  many  varying  forms  ; 
produces  the  last  market  blueberry. 

Stems. — Shoots  and  twigs  yellowish  green,  somewhat  angular 
when  young.  Stems  and  branches  are  bronze  or  copper  color  or 
tinged  with  purple  or  red  or  bleached  to  a  gray;  gradually  the 
bark  cleaves  off,  giving  the  stems  a  mottled  look. 

329 


HUCKLEBERRY    FAMILY 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  oblong  or  oval,  one  to  three 
inches  long,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire,  acute  at  apex.  They 
come  out  of  the  bud  pale  green  or  purplish,  downy  ;  when  full 
grown  are  dark  green,  glabrous  and  shining  above,  paler  and 
downy  beneath.  Autumnal  tint  brilliant  scarlet  and  orange. 
Petiole  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  White  or  pale  pink  bells,  borne  in 
short  pendent  or  nodding  racemes,  which  appear  on  almost  leaf- 
less branches  of  last  year's  wood.  Bracts  deciduous. 

Calyx. — Adnate  to  the  ovary  ;  five-lobed. 

Corolla. — White  or  pinkish,  cylindric  or  slightly  constricted  at 
the  throat,  one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  long,  five-toothed. 

Stamens. — Ten,  anthers  upwardly  prolonged  into  tubes  ;  cells 
opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  ovules  several,  stigma  small. 

Fruit. — Berry  one-fourth  to  one-third  an  inch  in  diameter, 
variable  in  color  but  typically  blue  with  a  bloom  ;  pleasantly 
acid.  July,  August. 

This  Blueberry  is  described  by  Gray  in  three  vari- 
eties, two  of  which  Britton  &  Brown  regard  as  suffi- 
ciently distinct  to  be  considered  species.  These  are 
Vaccinium  corynibosum  atrococcum,  which  differs  from 
the  type,  principally,  in  more  downy  leaves,  smaller 
and  rounder  flowers  and  berries  black  without  bloom  ; 
and  Vaccinium  corynibosum  pallidujn  which  differs  in 
having  paler  serrulate  leaves,  whitish  or  glaucous  be- 
neath. This  form  is  common  in  the  Alleghanies  and 
has  a  southern  habitat. 

Mr.  Jackson  Dawson  of  the  Arnold  Arboretum 
writes  of  this  Blueberry  as  follows : 

"  The  High  Bush  Blueberry,  Vaccinium  corynibosum, 
forms  handsome  clumps  of  shrubbery  from  four  to  ten 
feet  high  in  deep  swamps  and  moist  woods,  but  sel- 
dom reaches  more  than  four  feet  in  open  pastures. 

330 


HIGH-BUSH    BLUEBERRY 


High-bush  Blueberry,  Vaccinium  forynibostim. 
Leaves  i'  to  )'  long.     Fruit  }£'  to  %'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY   FAMILY 

The  young  branches  are  usually  yellowish  green, 
turning  to  a  light  gray  when  old  or  much  exposed, 
while  the  bark  on  old  stems  becomes  rough  and  peels 
off  in  shreds. 

"  The  flowers  are  pretty,  white  bells,  borne  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  branches  of  the  previous  year's  growth. 
They  appear  in  May  and  early  June,  and  the  fruit  is 
ripe  from  August  to  late  September.  The  latter  is 
variable  in  shape,  size,  flavor,  and  color.  Of  many 
well  marked  varieties,  one  has  large  black  fruit  of  a 
pleasant  acid  which  seems  exactly  the  flavor  to  add  to 
a  bowl  of  new  milk.  Another,  a  large  one,  has  a  deli- 
cate sugary  flavor.  I  chanced  upon  a  bush  one  day 
\vhich  was  twelve  feet  high,  loaded  with  berries  of  a 
beautiful  blue,  rich,  juicy  variety  and  half  an  inch  in 
diameter,  while  some  were  even  larger.  In  this 
swamp  ten  or  twelve  good  forms  of  fruit  might  have 
been  found  and  by  careful  selection  and  hybridization 
there  is  no  reason  why  the  High  Bush  Blueberry 
should  not  become  an  excellent  and  abundant  fruit,  as 
it  is  more  easily  cultivated  than  any  of  the  others.  A 
dwarf  form  of  Vacciniuin  corymbosum  which  rarely 
grows  more  than  eighteen  inches  high  has  large,  fine, 
abundant  fruit  of  a  bluish  black  color." 

The  High-bush  Blueberry  has  many  virtues,  and  by 
no  means  the  least  is  the  gorgeous  coloring  that  it 
assumes  in  late  October.  Then  it  becomes  indeed  a 
burning  bush  of  the  most  brilliant  scarlet  and  holds 
its  leaves  late  into  November.  It  should  be  more 
generally  planted,  for  it  is  beautiful  at  all  seasons,  is 
not  difficult  to  transplant,  and  will  grow  in  any  good 
garden  soil. 

332 


DWARF    BILBERRY 


Dwarf  Bilberry,  Vaccinium  caespitosum. 
Leaves  %>  to  i'  long. 


HUCKLEBERRY    FAMILY 


DWARF    BILBERRY 

Vaccinium   c&spitbsum. 

A  low  much  branched  shrub,  three  to  seven  inches  high ; 
found  on  the  summits  of  the  White  Mountains.  Ranges  from 
Labrador  westward  through  subarctic  America  to  Alaska,  south 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  Colorado. 

Leaves. — Obovate,  one-half  to  one  inch  long,  wedge-shaped 
at  base,  serrulate  with  small  blunt  teeth,  obtuse  or  acute  at  apex, 
nearly  sessile,  shining  green  above  and  beneath.  In  autumn  the 
leaves  fall  early. 

flowers. — June,  July.  White  or  pink  bells  ;  mostly  solitary 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves;  calyx  five  or  four-toothed;  corolla 
obovoid  or  oblong-obovoid,  pink  or  white,  five,  rarely  four- 
toothed  ;  stamens  ten,  rarely  eight. 

Fruit. — Berry,  globular,  blue  with  a  bloom,  sweet,  about  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  August. 


BOG  BILBERRY.  BOG  WHORTLEBERRY 

Vaccinium  uliginbsum. 

A  low,  stiff,  much  branched 
shrub,  six  to  twenty-four  inches 
high.  Found  on  the  summits  of  the 
high  mountains  of  New  England 
and  New  York  mainly  above  the 
timber  line,  along  the  shore  of  Lake 
Superior  and  northward  to  Alaska. 
Also  found  in  northern  Europe  and 
northern  Asia. 

ob- 


Bog  Bilberry,  Vaccinium  uliginosum, 


in  flower. 


Leaves. — Oval,  obovate  or  uu- 
long,  one-half  to  one  inch  long, 
wedge-shaped  at  the  base,  entire,  ob- 
tuse or  retuse,  nearly  sessile;  when 
full  grown  thick,  bright  green  above, 
dull,  pale,  or  glaucous  beneath. 


MOUNTAIN    CRANBERRY 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Pink  bells,  solitary  or  in  clusters  of 
two  to  four.  Calyx  four-lobed,  rarely  five-lobed  ;  corolla  pink, 
ovoid  or  urn-shaped,  four-toothed ;  stamens  eight,  two-awned  at 
the  back,  included. 

Fruit. — Berry,  globular,  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  in  diam- 
eter, blue  with  a  bloom,  sweet,  not  abundant.  July,  August. 


MOUNTAIN    CRANBERRY.     CROWBERRY 
Vltis-Idaa  vitis-idaa.     Vaccinium  vltis-idaa. 

A  low  evergreen  shrub,  three  to  eight  inches  high,  with  creep- 
ing stems  and  erect  branches.  Ranges  from  the  higher  moun- 
tains of  New  England  and  the  coast  of  Maine  to  I^abrador,  west- 
ward to  Lake  Superior,  British  Columbia  and  Alaska ;  ascends 
5,300  feet  in  the  Adirondacks.  Native  in  northern  Europe  and 
northern  Asia ;  prefers  peat  soil ;  seeks  the  shelter  of  pine  woods; 
makes  beds  and  mats. 

Leaves. — Crowded  on  the  stem,  one-fourth  to  two-thirds  of  an 
inch  long,  obovate  or  oval,  obtuse  at  base,  margin  entire  or 
sparingly  serrate,  slightly  revolute,  rounded  or  slightly  retuse  at 
apex:  when  full  grown  are  thick,  leathery,  dark  shining  green 
above,  paler,  and  dotted  with  blackish  points  underneath,  gla- 
brous or  minutely  ciliate  toward  the  base.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  White  or  pinkish  bells,  in  short,  ter- 
minal, secund  racemes,  nodding,  longer  than  their  pedicels. 
Bracts  reddish. 

Calyx. — Adnate  to  ovary,  four-toothed. 

Corolla. — White  or  pink,  open  bell-shaped,  four-lobed. 

Stamens. — Eight ;  anthers  without  awns,  upwardly  prolonged 
into  tubes;  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Fruit. — Berry,  globular,  dark  red,  bitter-acid,  about  one-third 
of  an  inch  in  diameter;  edible  when  cooked  and  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  cranberries  in  the  extreme  north.  August,  September. 

The  Mountain  Cranberry  is  one  of  those  plants 
which  since  the  glacial  period  has  returned  apparent- 
ly unchanged  to  its  northern  home ;  and  is  found  in 

335 


HUCKLEBERRY    FAMILY 

Europe,  Asia,  and  America,  well  up  toward  the  limit 
of  the  timber  line.  Like  all  the  alpine  and  arctic 
plants  it  is  dwarfed  in  stem  and  branch,  although  its 
flowers  are  lovely  and  fruit  abundant. 

This  dwarfing  of  plants  native  to  high  mountains  or 
northern  latitudes  is  interesting  from  a  physiological 
point  of  view.  Professor  Correvon,  Director  of  the 
Alpine  Garden  of  Geneva,  Switzerland,  writes  con- 
cerning it  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  first  place  physiological  experiments  have 
proved  that  it  is  during  the  night  that  the  lengthen- 
ing of  tissues  and  the  gradual  expansion  of  the  plant 
occurs.  In  the  daytime  the  greater  the  insolation  the 
less  growth  they  accomplish,  and,  the  Alpine  night 
being  so  extremely  cold,  there  can  scarcely  be  any 
nocturnal  development  of  mountain  plants.  It  is  un- 
der the  influence  of  attenuated  solar  rays  and  dur- 
ing the  warm  dusks  that  the  plants  are  able  to  in- 
crease. The  hot  and  powerful  sun  of  high  latitudes 
causes  the  brilliancy  and  size  of  the  corollas,  but  also 
prevents  the  equal  expansion  of  stems  and  leaves. 
These  latter  have  only  the  very  short  space  of  time  be- 
tween the  setting  of  the  sun  and  the  beginning  of  the 
glacial  night  for  their  growth,  and  in  addition  they 
also  profit  by  the  short,  cloudy,  moist  and  tepid  days 
that  precede  the  setting  in  of  winter  to  put  forth  new 
leaves  and  buds." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun,  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  writing  in 
Garden  and  Forest  says  : 

"  The  fruit  of  the  Mountain  Cranberry  is  consid- 
ered of  no  value  in  the  warmer  parts  of  Canada; 
but  in  the  cold  rocky  woods  of  the  north,  along  the 

336 


MOUNTAIN    CRANBERRY 


Mountain  Cranberry,  1/accininm  vttis-idaa. 

Leaves  %'  to  %'  long.     Fruit  J/j'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY   FAMILY 

shores  of  Hudson  Bay  and  the  Arctic  Ocean,  it  seems 
to  gain  size  and  flavor  out  of  the  very  conditions  that 
dwarf  and  destroy  its  less  hardy  competitors.  For 
there  it  is  acid,  not  acrid,  and  pronounced  to  be  the 
equal,  by  those  who  have  eaten  it  there,  of  the  Cran- 
berry. May  not  something  be  due  to  the  appetite  of 
the  eater  in  that  northern  clime  ? 

"  It  is  true,  however,  that  on  the  north  shore  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  the  fisher  folk  gather  it  in  large 
quantities  for  their  own  use,  calling  it  the  Low-bush 
Cranberry. 

"  In  some  places  together  with  Empetrum  nigrum  it 
forms  the  sole  food  of  the  larger  migratory  birds  as 
they  return  to  the  north  in  the  spring.  In  the  spring 
it  is  eagerly  sought  by  the  black  bear,  and  on  the 
islands  in  Hudson  Bay  and  along  the  Arctic  coasts  the 
polar  bear  spends  much  of  his  time  in  tearing  up  the 
low  evergreen  plants  in  order  to  get  at  the  fruit  more 
easily  ;  for  it  is  on  the  under  side  and  almost  touching 
the  earth  that  the  berries  are  found  in  greatest  num- 
bers. Immense  patches  of  ground  covered  with  the 
dead  plants  may  often  be  found,  telling  where  bruin 
has  been  at  work.  All  summer  long  the  last  season's 
fruit  may  be  found  mixed  with  the  flowers  or  with  the 
green  berries,  and  is  then  eaten  by  many  birds  in  pref- 
erence to  anything  else." 


338 


DEERBERRY 


Deerberry,  Polycodium  stantiiteum. 

Leaves  i'  to  4'  long.     Fruit  yV  to  Ji'  in  diameter. 


HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

DEERBERRY.  SQUAW  HUCKLEBERRY 

Polycbdium   stamineum.      Vaccinium   stamineum. 
Polycodium,  many  bells,  referring  to  the  abundant  flowers. 

A  widely  branching  shrub  two  to  five  feet  high,  found  in  dry 
gravelly  soil  and  under  the  shade  of  deciduous  trees.  Ranges 
from  Massachusetts  to  Kentucky  and  Florida,  west  to  Minnesota. 

Stems. — Branches  slender,  green,  downy  at  first,  finally 
brown. 

Leaves. — Oval,  ovate,  oblong  or  obovate,  one  to  four  inches 
long,  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  base,  entire,  slightly  revolute 
at  margin,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex;  when  full  grown  are  light 
green  above,  pale  or  glaucous  or  slightly  downy  beneath  ;  mid- 
vein  and  primary  veins  very  prominent  beneath.  Autumnal 
tints  scarlet  and  crimson,  or  the  leaves  fall  with  little  change  of 
color.  Petiole  short,  downy. 

Flowers. — April,  June.  Very  numerous,  pure  white  bells, 
borne  in  graceful,  leafy-bracted  racemes. 

Calyx. — Tube  adnate  to  ovary,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Open  bell-shaped;  white,  or  white  with  a  purplish 
tinge,  or  yellowish  green,  about  one-quarter  of  an  inch  long,  five- 
lobed. 

Stamens. — Ten,  exserted,  anthers  upwardly  prolonged  into 
tubes  ;  cells  opening  by  a  terminal  pore. 

Pistil. — Ovary  inferior,  five-celled  ;  style  exserted. 

Fruit. — Berry  globose  or  pear-shaped,  greenish  white,  yellow- 
ish or  dull  red,  three  to  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  in- 
edible. September. 

The  Deerberry  is  a  plant  of  wide  distribution,  but  is 
principally  a  bush  of  the  Alleghanies.  When  removed 
from  its  wild-wood  surrounding's,  given  good  soil  and 
generous  treatment,  it  develops  into  a  charming  garden 
plant.  Its  flowers  may  be  distinguished  by  their  very 
long,  straight  stamens,  which  project  far  beyond  the 
short,  spreading,  corolla  bells.  The  fruit  is  inedible. 

340 


AMERICAN    CRANBERRY 


CREEPING   SNOWBERRY 

Chidsencs   serpyll/fblia.      Cliid^enes   hispidula. 
Chiogenes,  snow  born,  in  allusion  to  the  white  berries. 

A  trailing  and  creeping  evergreen,  with  slender 
hairy  branches  and  alternate  two-ranked,  oval  or  ovate, 
small  leaves  and  solitary,  axillary, 
small,  greenish  white  flowers  on 
short  recurved  peduncles.  A  na- 
tive of  cold,  wet  woods,  it  ranges 
across  the  continent  from  New- 
foundland to  British  Columbia  and 
southward  to  Michigan  and  North 
Carolina.  The  flowers  appear  in 
May  and  June,  are  bell-shaped; 
calyx  four-cleft;  corolla  four-lobed  ; 
stamens  eight;  ovary  four-celled. 
The  berry  is  snow  white,  aromatic, 
many-seeded,  rather  mealy;  usual-  Cr*eP|ns  snowberry,  ci,,0ff 

J    '  btsptdula.     Leaves  j'j'  to 

ly  minutely  bristly.  lon«t- 


AMERICAN   CRANBERRY 
Oxycoccus    macrocdrpus. 

Oxycoccus,  sharp  berry,  of  Greek  derivation,  referring  to 
the  sharp  acid  of  the  fruit.  Cranberry  is  referred  to  a  fan- 
cied resemblance  between  the  stem,  calyx,  and  petals,  as 
the  bud  is  about  to  unfold,  and  the  neck,  head,  and  bill 
of  a  crane  ;  hence  craneberry,  soon  corrupted  into  cran- 
berry. 

A  trailing  evergreen  shrub  with  short,  erect  fruiting 
branches,  alternate,  nearly  sessile  leaves,  and  nodding 
slender  peduncles,  pale  pink  flowers.  The  leaves  are 

34t 


HUCKLEBERRY    FAMILY 


dark  green  above,  white  or  pale  beneath,  the  margins 
revolute.  Flowers  appear  in  June  in  few-flowered 
clusters,  slightly  racemose.  Calyx  is  four-parted  ; 
corolla  four-parted,  anthers  exserted  with  very  long 
terminal  tubes  ;  berry  four-celled,  red,  acid.  Found  in 
bogs  from  Newfoundland  to  the  Northwest  Territory 
and  southward  to  North  Carolina,  Michigan,  and  Min- 
nesota. Extensively  cultivated  ;  produces  the  cran- 
berry of  the  market.  The  Small  or  European  Cran- 
berry, Oxy coccus  oxycoccus,  also 
occurs  in  the  extreme  north,  de- 
scending as  far  south  as  New  Jer- 
sey and  Michigan.  A  southern 
form  appears  in  the  mountains  of 
Virginia  and  southward. 

Professor  Bailey,  in  "  The  Evo- 
lution of  Our  Native  Fruits," 
writes  of  the  cranberry  as  follows: 
"  The  cranberry,  the  most 
unique  of  American  horticultural 
products,  was  first  cultivated,  or 
rescued  from  mere  wild  bogs, 
about  1810.  Its  cultivation  began 
to  attract  attention  about  1840,  although  the  difficulties 
connected  with  the  growing  of  this  new  crop  did  not 
begin  to  clear  away  before  1850.  Cape  Cod  was  the 
first  cranberry-growing  region,  which  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  New  Jersey,  and  later  by  Wisconsin  and 
other  regions.  The  varieties  now  known  are  over  a 
hundred,  all  having  been  picked  up  in  bogs,  and  the 
annual  product  from  tame  bogs  in  the  United  States  is 
more  than  800,000  bushels." 

342 


American  Cranberry,  Oxycoccus 
macrocarpus.  Leaves  J^'  to 
%'  long. 


ERICACEAE— HEATH   FAMILY 

LABRADOR  TEA 

Ltdum   groenldndicum.      Lhium   latifblium. 
Ledum  is  without  significance  as  applied  to  this  plant. 

A  low,  evergreen,  undershrub  one  to  four  feet  high,  growing  in 
bogs  and  swamps  and  cold,  damp,  wooded  glens.  Ranges  from 
Greenland  to  British  Columbia  and  southward  to  Massachusetts, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Wisconsin.  Juices  bitter,  astrin- 
gent and  narcotic.  Root  or  subterranean  stem  very  large. 

Stems. — Recent  shoots  densely  covered  with  rusty  tomentum. 
Older  branches  reddish  brown  or  copper-colored  ;  main  stem 
very  dark. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  thick,  one  to  two  inches  long, 
one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  wide,  oblong,  pointed  or  rounded 
at  base,  obtuse  at  apex,  margin  entire,  strongly  revolute ;  when 
full  grown  are  pale  green,  slightly  rugose,  sparingly  dotted 
with  amber  dots  above,  densely  covered  with  soft  brown  wool 
beneath.  Those  growing  on  branches  near  the  ground  are 
sometimes  destitute  of  tomentum  and  are  flat,  short,  elliptical 
and  scattered,  bearing  resinous  dots  beneath.  Fragrant  when 
crashed.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  white,  three-eighths  to  one- 
half  an  inch  broad  ;  borne  in  dense  terminal  umbels  one  to  one 
and  one-half  inches  across  ;  pedicels  nearly  an  inch  long,  recurved 
in  fruit,  brown-hairy  or  tomentose,  bracted  at  the  base ;  bracts 
deciduous. 

Calyx. — Small,  five-toothed,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  white,  nearly  or  quite  distinct,  oval,  ob- 
tuse, imbricate  in  bud. 

343 


HEATH   FAMILY 

Stamens. — Five  to  ten,  hypogynous,  exserted,  filaments  thread- 
like, white ;  anthers  white,  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  ovoid,  scaly,  five -celled;  ovules 
many ;  style  threadlike,  persistent ;  stigma  five-lobed. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  oblong-oval, 
crowned  with  the  style,  downy,  nodding,  five-celled,  five-valved, 
opening  from  the  base.  Seeds  many. 

Labrador  Tea  is  an  interesting  example  of  a  plant  fitted  to  hold  its  own  in 
a  subarctic  climate.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  clothed  in  wool ;  it  carries  a 
thick  woolly  coat  over  its  stems  and  on  the  under-surface  of  its  leaves. 
This  woolliness  lessens  the  loss  of  water  through  the  stomata.  Then,  too, 
the  leaves  are  partly  rolled  up  with  the  upper  surface  outward,  so  as  to  give 
the  lower  surface  a  deeply  grooved  form.  This  plant  ranges  far  north  into 
regions  where  the  temperature  even  in  summer  often  falls  so  low  that  the 
absorption  of  water  by  the  roots  ceases,  since  it  has  been  shown  that  this 
stops  a  little  above  the  freezing  point  of  water.  Exposed  to  cold  dry  winds 
the  plant  would  then  often  be  killed  by  complete  drying  up,  if  it  were  not  for 
the  protection  afforded  by  the  woolly,  channelled,  under-surfaces  of  the  leaves. 

— JOSEPH  Y.  BERGEN. 

The  name  Labrador  Tea  is  more  than  a  botanist's 
fancy, — the  resinous,  astringent,  and  slightly  bitter 
leaves  really  have  been  used  at  the  north  as  a  substi- 
tute for  tea.  There  is  no  record  that  it  is  a  good  sub- 
stitute ;  and  in  Russia  where  the  leaves  of  an  allied 
species  are  used  instead  of  hops  in  the  manufacture  of 
beer,  the  beer  so  made  causes  headache  and  vertigo. 
Like  all  subarctic  plants  the  roots  are  large  in  propor- 
tion to  the  spread  of  stem  and  foliage.  The  leaves  are 
curiously  recurved,  a  concession  to  the  severity  of  the 
climate  in  its  chosen  home.  The  handsome  clusters 
of  white  flowers  are  produced  in  May  and  June.  It 
prefers  a  peat  soil,  and  like  most  broad-leaved  ever- 
greens in  our  climate  is  the  better  for  a  slight  winter 
covering,  not  as  protection  against  winter  cold,  but 
against  winter  sunshine. 

344 


LABRADOR   TEA 


Labrador  Tea,  Ledum  grvnlandicum. 

Leaves  i'  to  2'  bng. 


HEATH  >FAMILY 


WILD   HONEYSUCKLE.     PINXTER   FLOWER.     PINK 

AZALEA 

Azalea  nudiflbra. 

Azalea,  dry,  arid,  of  Greek  derivation,  refers  to  the  habi- 
tat of  the  plant.  Pinxter  is  Dutch  for  Whitsunday  and  re- 
fers to  the  time  of  flowering. 

A  spreading  shrub,  two  to  six  feet  high,  branched  above,  often 
simple  below  ;  grows  in  dry  sandy  or  rocky  woods,  also  loves 
the  banks  of  sluggish  streams  and  borders  of  swamps.  Ranges 
from  Maine  to  Florida,  westward  to  Missouri  and  Texas.  Vari- 
able in  habit  and  in  choice  of  location. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  crowded  toward  the  end  of  the  branches, 
simple,  two  to  four  inches  long,  oblong  or  obovate,  acute  at 
both  ends,  serrate,  margin  finely  ciliate.  They  come  out  of  the 
bud  revolute,  pale  dull  green,  slightly  hairy;  when  full  grown 
are  bright  green,  glabrous  above,  paler  green  and  downy  be- 
neath. In  autumn  they  turn  dull  yellow.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — April,  May,  before  or  with  the  leaves.  Perfect, 
showy  pink  or  nearly  white,  faintly  odorous,  borne  in  terminal 
umbels  developed  from  cone-like  scaly  buds  which  were  formed 
the  previous  autumn.  Pedicels  hairy,  erect,  about  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  long. 

Calyx. — Small,  five-parted,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Varying  from  rose-color  more  or  less  intense  to 
white,  funnel-form,  somewhat  irregular;  tube  dark  pink,  scarcely 
longer  than  the  lobes  of  the  corolla,  hairy,  slightly  glandular ; 
border  paler  pink,  five-lobed,  somewhat  two-lipped,  one  and  a 
half  to  two  inches  broad. 

Stamens. — Five,  much  exserted,  declined ;  filaments  slender, 
pink,  often  an  inch  and  a  half  long ;  anthers  awnless ;  cells 
opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled  ;  style  slender,  pink;  two 
to  two  and  a  half  inches  long,  declined  ;  ovules  numerous. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  linear-oblong,  erect,  five-celled,  opening 
down  from  the  top,  many-seeded. 

346 


WILD   HONEYSUCKLE 


Wild  Honeysuckle,  Azalea  nudiflora. 


HEATH   FAMILY 


Azaleas  flush  the  island  floors 
And  the  tints  of  heaven  reply. 

— RALPH  WALDO  EMERSON. 

Martha    Bockee  Flint  in  "A  Garden    of   Simples' 
writes  of  Azalea  nndi flora  as  follows  : 

"  In  secluded  forest  dells  where  the  wood  soil  is 
rich  and  damp,  on  the  verge  of  black,  peaty  swamps, 
and  even  on  rocky  hillsides,  there  blooms  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  Azaleas,  the  Rhododendron  nudiflora. 
No  '  tree '  in  its  sub-arborescent 
growth,  it  is  truly  a  rose  flower,  for 
the  exquisite  tints  of  the  wild-rose 
and  the  peach-blossom  color  its 
clusters  of  airy  bloom.  .  .  .  This 
peerless  azalea  is  familiarly  known 
in  New  England  as  the  honeysuckle, 
the  swamp  pink  and  the  May  apple. 
The  latter  name  comes  from  the  ir- 
regular excrescence,  pale  green  and 
glaucous,  growing  on  the  leaves 
when  stung  by  an  insect,  which 
there  deposits  its  eggs.  Cool,  crisp, 
and  juicy,  they  are  the  delight  of  children,  and  put  for 
a  day  in  spiced  vinegar,  make  the  first  pickles  of  the 
year. 

"  But  the  name  by  which  this  May  Queen  of  our 
northern  flora  is  dearest  to  New  Netherland  families 
is  Pingster-bloem,  the  flower  of  Pingster  or  Whitsun- 
day. In  the  seventeenth  century,  the  rocky  glens  and 
woodland  glades  of  the  island  of  Manhattan  were  all 
aglow  with  this  pink  azalea,  blooming  over  a  period 
long  enough  to  connect  it  with  that  movable  feast,  by 

348 


Leaves  of  Azalea  nudiflora. 


MOUNTAIN    AZALEA 


Mountain  Azalea,  Azalea  canescens. 

Leaves  i  %'  to  ?'  lon^. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

the  Dutch  revered  only  less  than  the  festival  of  their 
own  patron  saint.  With  the  prescribed  religious  ob- 
servances the  Pingster  days  had  man}'-  features  of  the 
Saturnalia  and  were  in  that  staid  community  a  time  of 
unwonted  license.  The  slaves  then  had  their  holiday 
and  held  riot,  awakening  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson 
the  wild  echo  of  strains  which  had  been  chanted  on 
the  Congo  and  the  Gambia.  But  the  custom  in 
Nieuw  Amsterdam  which  is  fairest  in  retrospect,  and 
which  lingered  longest,  was  the  gathering  of  the  Ping- 
ster-blocm.  .  .  .  From  the  day's  woodland  revels, 
the  youths  and  maidens  returned  laden  with  the 
branches  of  the  Pingstcr-blocm,  to  adorn  the  houses. 
This  yearly  gathering  of  the  Azalea  is  the  nearest 
spontaneous  approach  to  a  May  Day  celebration 
which  has  ever  thrived  in  our  capricious  climate. 
This  may  be  explained  not  only  by  the  matchless 
beauty  of  the  sylvan  spoil,  but  by  the  great  rever- 
ence with  which  Whitsunday  was  regarded  in  every 
branch  of  the  Christian  church." 

MOUNTAIN   AZALEA 

Azalea   canZscens. 

A  mountain  form,  native  to  the  Catskill  and  Shawangunk 
mountains  and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies. 

A  branching  shrub,  four  to  fifteen  feet  high,  the 
twigs  glabrous  or  sparingly  pubescent.  Leaves  oval, 
elliptic  or  sometimes  obovate,  wider  and  shorter  than 
those  of  Azalea  nudi flora,  more  or  less  soft  canescent 
and  pale  beneath,  and  stiff  hairy  or  pubescent  on  the 
veins,  varying  to  nearly  glabrous,  the  margins  ciliolate- 

35o 


FLAMING   AZALEA 


I/ 


Flaming  Azalea   Azalea  liitea. 

Leaves  2'  to  )%'  long. 


HEATH   FAMILY 

serrulate;  pedicels  glandular;  flowers  rose-color  to 
white,  very  fragrant,  expanding  with  or  before  the 
leaves;  corolla  border  of  two  inches  across;  the  tube 
rather  stout,  densely  glandular  but  scarcely  viscid ; 
stamens  exserted  ;  capsule  linear-oblong,  narrowed 
above,  glandular,  one-quarter  to  one-third  of  an  inch 
long. 

FLAMING   AZALEA 
Azalea   liitea.     Azalea   calcndulacea. 

Four  to  fifteen  feet  high  ;  erect,  branches  and  twigs  mostly 
smooth  ;  in  dry  woods.  Ranges  from  southern  New  York  to 
Georgia  on  the  slopes  of  the  Appalachian  mountains.  Attrac- 
tive in  cultivation. 

leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  oblong,  oval  or  obovate,  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  margins  serrulate  and  ciliolate-serrulate,  some- 
what revolute,  acute  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  bright  green, 
glabrous  or  slightly  hairy  above;  more  or  less  downy  or  tomen- 
tose  beneath.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June,  with  the  leaves.  Perfect,  orange,  yel- 
low or  red,  very  showy,  slightly  fragrant,  borne  in  terminal  um- 
bels developed  from  cone-like  scaly  buds,  which  were  formed 
the  previous  autumn. 

Calyx. — Small,  five-parted. 

Corolla. — Varying  from  lemon  to  orange  and  red,  funnel-form, 
somewhat  irregular.  Tube  glandular-hairy,  about  the  length  of 
the  corolla-lobes  ;  border  five-lobed,  about  two  inches  broad. 

Stamens. —  Five,  long-exserted,  declined,  filaments  slender, 
yellow  ;  anthers  awnless,  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled  ;  style  slender,  three  inches 
long,  yellow. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  linear-oblong,  erect,  more  or  less  downy. 

Hardly  inferior  to  any  of  the  garden  varieties  is  our  native  Azalea  calen- 
dulacea ;  and  one  of  the  great  sights  of  this  continent  for  the  lover  of 
flowers  is  the  slopes  of  the  southern  Alleghany  mountains  when  they  are 
blazing  in  June  with  the  great  flame-colored  masses  of  this  splendid  plant. 

— Garden  and  forest. 

352 


TREE    AZALEA 


Tree  Azalea,  Azalea  aborescens 

Leaves  i'  to  2'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

SMOOTH   AZALEA.     TREE    AZALEA 
Azalea  arborescens. 

The  Tree  Azalea  under  favorable  conditions  attains 
the  height  of  six  to  ten  feet.  Although  found  in  the 
mountains  of  Pennsylvania  the  plant  is  really  southern 
and  finds  its  most  congenial  home  in  the  Carolinas  and 
the  Gulf  states.  The  leaves  are  one  to  two  inches 
long,  obovate  or  oval,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex, 
margin  entire  and  ciliate,  bright  green  above,  pale 
green  beneath,  fragrant  in  drying. 

The  flowers,  which  appear  in  June  and  July,  are  of 
the  azalea  type,  white  or  tinged  with  pink,  fragrant. 
The  border  is  nearly  regular,  and  the  tube  slender  and 
glandular;  stamens  and  style  are  red,  long-exserted. 
The  fruiting  capsule  is  densely  glandular,  one-half  to 
three-fourths  of  an  inch  long. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  most  fragrant 
of  the  azaleas,  and  the  length  of  its  blooming  period 
makes  it  desirable  in  cultivation. 

WHITE  SWAMP  HONEYSUCKLE.  WHITE  AZALEA. 
CLAMMY  AZALEA 

Azalea  viscbsa. 

Four  to  six  feet  high,  with  numerous  spreading  branches, 
grayish  bark  and  hairy  twigs ;  the  whole  plant  sticky  and 
clammy ;  found  in  swamps,  at  the  borders  of  ponds,  on  moist 
highlands.  Ranges  from  Maine  to  Florida  and  from  Ohio  to 
Texas,  not  far  from  the  coast.  Variable. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  obovate-oblong  or  oblanceolate, 
two  to  four  inches  long,  short-petioled,  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
entire,  ciliolate  at  margin,  obtuse  or  acute  and  bristle  pointed  at 

354 


CLAMMY  AZALEA 


Clammy  Azalea,  Azalea  -ctscosa. 

Leaves  if  to  4'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

apex  ;  when  full  grown,  light  green  above,  often  glaucous,  more 
or  less  hairy,  beneath. 

Flowers. — June,  July,  after  the  leaves.  Perfect,  white,  some- 
times touched  with  pink,  borne  in  terminal  umbels  developed 
from  cone-like  scaly  buds  which  were  formed  the  previous 
autumn  ;  all  the  parts  viscid  and  glandular  ;  fragrant. 

Calyx. — Minute,  five-parted,  glandular-bristly. 

Corolla. — White,  varying  to  pale  pink,  funnel-form,  tube 
slender,  very  viscid,  densely  glandular;  border  five-lobed,  more 
or  less  two-lipped,  one  to  two  inches  broad,  shorter  than  the  tube. 

Stamens. — Five,  exserted,  declined;  filaments  white,  pubes- 
cent; anthers  orange,  awnless,  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  glandular-bristly,  five-celled  ;  style 
white,  slender,  pubescent,  exserted. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  linear-oblong,  about  half  an  inch  long, 
glandular-bristly. 

The  Clammy  White  Azalea  is  found  abundantly  on 
the  borders  of  swamps,  although  it  sometimes  climbs 
the  mountain  side.  The  books  report  its  color  as 
white,  but  this  is  not  always  the  case;  for  some  plants 
bear  pure  white  flowers  while  others  have  pink  or 
pale  rose-colored  blossoms;  sometimes  the  tube  of  a 
white  one  shows  a  flush  of  pink.  The  blossom  is 
thickly  covered  with  glandular  hairs;  they  are  on 
pedicel,  calyx,  corolla,  each  one  white  crowned  with  a 
minute  crimson  ball. 

It  is  late  in  August  before  the  last  blossom  has  faded 
on  the  White  Honeysuckle  that  lives  in  a  shaded  nook 
by  a  northern  swamp.  Transferred  to  the  garden  the 
flowering  period  is  shorter,  but  the  bush  belongs  to 
the  group  of  summer  bloomers.  The  flowers  are  de- 
liciously  fragrant  and  this  fragrance  seems  to  reside  in 
every  part. 

356 


CULTIVATED  AZALEAS 

CULTIVATED  AZALEAS 

It  is  well  known  that  the  charming  Azaleas  which 
glorify  our  lawns  in  the  early  spring  are  the  product 
of  the  gardener's  art.  Their  range  of  color  is  nothing 
less  than  marvellous.  Through  all  the  tints  of  buff  and 
sulphur  and  primrose,  through  all  the  range  of  salmon 
and  crimson  and  vermilion,  fading  from  rose  into  white 
and  deepening  from  lemon  to  orange,  they  make  their 
bewildering  way.  Every  morning  is  a  fresh  revela- 
tion of  what  subtle  and  varied  color  these  gorgeous 
creatures  can  command  ;  and  as  the  day  ends  the  hawk 
moth,  which  looks  like  a  humming-bird,  poised  upon 
wings  whose  motion  is  like  the  sleep  of  a  top,  hovers 
in  the  twilight  above  the  blossoms  seeking  the  nectar 
stored  in  the  long  tubes;  and  so  makes  sure  there  shall 
be  more  Azaleas  in  days  to  come. 

The  story  of  their  origin  is  most  interesting,  and  in 
this  life  history  our  own  plants  bear  a  distinguished 
part.  The  entire  American  group  possesses  the  char- 
acteristic known  as  variability.  That  means  simply 
that  a  plant  is  in  a  state  of  "  unstable  equilibrium,"  and 
will  respond  to  influences  so  subtle  that  our  gross 
senses  cannot  divine  what  they  are.  The  result  is  that 
in  minor  characters  the  plant  is  continually  vibrating 
back  and  forth.  It  loves  the  swamp,  but  grows  on 
the  dry  rocky  hillside  as  if  it  desired  no  other  home. 
Usually  each  flower  has  five  stamens;  some  fine  day  a 
plant  produces  a  cluster  in  which  each  flower  has  ten. 
Here  the  beautiful  corolla-tube  is  smooth  ;  there  it  is 
covered  with  clammy  hairs.  These  characters,  more- 
over, do  not  persist  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

357 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Such  a  plant  is  the  joy  of  the  gardener,  for  its  char- 
acters are  not  fixed  and  he  can  easily  mould  them  to 
his  purposes. 

Our  American  Azaleas,  notably  Azalea  nudiflora, 
Azalea  lutea  and  Azalea  arborescens,  were  sent  to  the 
Belgian  horticulturists  at  Ghent  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century.  They  were  first  crossed  with  the  Azalea  pon- 
tica  of  southern  Europe — strains  from  India,  from 
China,  from  Japan,  were  introduced,  and  by  a  process 
of  hybridization  and  selection  a  wonderful  group 
known  as  the  Ghent  Azaleas  was  produced. 

What  the  gardeners  of  Ghent  began  the  horticult- 
ural world  has  continued ;  and  now,  in  the  selection 
of  hardy  Azaleas,  one  is  embarrassed  by  the  number 
of  varieties  from  which  to  choose. 

Azalea  mollis,  a  rather  recent  introduction  from 
Japan,  is  a  form  which  is  winning  its  way  to  favor  be- 
cause of  its  hardiness,  its  low  spreading  growth  and 
its  well-shaped,  symmetrical  head.  The  flowers  of  the 
type  are  flame-colored,  but  seedlings  and  hybrids  fur- 
nish gorgeous  blossoms  of  white,  yellow,  and  orange. 
The  plant  is  an  early  bloomer  and  is  a  very  desirable 
species. 

The  Azaleas,  like  the  rhododendrons,  are  intolerant 
of  lime.  It  is  futile  to  expect  flourishing  plants  in  a 
calcareous  soil,  for  however  well  a  bed  may  be  pre- 
pared it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  surround- 
ing lime  leaches  through.  Nor  is  a  stiff  clay  soil  really 
suitable  for  the  plant ;  although  by  digging  wide  and 
deep  and  filling  in  with  sand  and  loam  and  leaf  humus, 
suitable  conditions  can  be  created. 


358 


RHODORA 


Rhodora,  Rbodora  canadfnsii. 
Leaves  i'  to  j'  long. 


HEATH   FAMILY 


RHODORA 

Rhodbra  canadensis. 
Named  from  the  Greek  rhodon,  a  rose. 

Early  flowering,  low,  thin  little  shrub,  one  to  three  feet  high, 
growing  in  cool  bogs,  by  the  side  of  sluggish  streams,  in  damp 
woods  and  on  wet  hillsides.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to 
New  Jersey,  westward  to  central  New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

Stems. — Recent  shoots  straight,  erect,  pale  yellowish  brown, 
hairy.     Older  stems  covered  with  an  outer  bark  which  peels  off 
early  and  leaves  a  bright,  copper-colored,  smooth 
bark ;     leaf-buds   minute ;     flower-buds   terminal, 
scaly,  yellowish  brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  three  inches 
long,  oval  or  oblong,  narrowed  at  base,  entire, 
slightly  revolute,  obtuse  or  acute,  often  with  a 
bristle  at  tip  ;  when  full  grown  pale  green  above, 
paler  and  glaucous  and  downy  beneath.  In  au- 
tumn they  fall  early  with  little  change  of  color. 
Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — April,  May,  just  before  or  with  the 
leaves.     Perfect,    rose-purple,   varying   to   white, 
Rhodora  Leaf.       borne  in   corymbose   terminal  clusters.     Pedicels 
short,  hairy. 

Calyx. — Minute,  five-toothed. 

Corolla. — Rose-purple,  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  broad, 
two-lipped  ;  upper  lip  unequally  two  to  three-lobed  ;  the  lower 
divided  to  the  base  ;  the  segments  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten,  as  long  as  the  corolla  ;  filaments  somewhat 
hairy  ;  anthers  short,  roundish,  purple  ;  cells  opening  by  ter- 
minal pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled,  bristly ;  style  slender, 
purple,  exserted  ;  stigma  capitate. 

fruit. — Capsule,  linear-oblong,  five-celled,  five-valved,  many 
seeded. 

360 


GREAT    LAUREL 


Great  Laurel,  Rhododendron  maximum. 

Lravcs  4'  to  7'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Rhodora  !   if  the  sages  ask  you  why 

This  charm  is  wasted  on  the  marsh  and  sky, 

Dear,  tell  them,  that  if  eyes  were  made  for  seeing, 

Then  beauty  is  its  own  excuse  for  being. 

Why  thou  wert  there,  O  rival  of  the  rose, 

I  never  thought  to  ask ;    I  never  knew, 

But  in  my  simple  ignorance  suppose 

The  selfsame  Power  that  brought  me  there  brought  you. 

— RALPH  WALDO  EMERSON. 

On  the  margin  of  some  quiet  swamp  a  myriad  of  bare  twigs  seem  sud- 
denly overspread  with  purple  butterflies,  and  we  know  that  the  Rhodora  is 
in  bloom.  Wordsworth  never  immortalized  a  flower  more  surely  than 
Emerson  this,  and  it  needs  no  weaker  words ;  there  is  nothing  else  in 
which  the  change  from  nakedness  to  beauty  is  so  sudden,  and  when  you 
bring  home  the  great  mass  of  blossoms  they  appear  all  ready  to  flutter  away 
again  from  your  hands  and  leave  you  disenchanted. 

— THOMAS  WENTWORTH  HIGGINSON. 

The  Rhodora  grows  from  one  to  three  feet  high, 
with  each  stem  divided  into  four  or  five  branchlets 
which  are  terminated  by  the  encircling  flower  clusters. 
A  native  of  swamps,  it  accepts  the  garden  and  will 
grow  and  spread  if  provided  with  a  peaty  soil  and  an 
open  position.  Like  many  others  the  flowers  in  order 
to  be  effective  should  be  seen  in  masses.  This  is  a 
genus  of  a  single  species;  so  far  as  known  there  is 
but  one  Rhodora. 


GREAT   LAUREL.     ROSE   BAY 

Rhododendron  mdximum. 

A  tall  shrub,  sometimes  a  tree ;  found  in  low  woods 
and  along  streams  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Ontario  and 
south  to  Georgia,  chiefly  along  the  mountains,  often 
forming  almost  impenetrable  thickets. 

Leaves  evergreen,  alternate,  four  to  seven  inches 

362 


HYBRID   RHODODENDRON 


..* 


Hybrid  Rhododendron. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

long,  oblong  or  lanceolate-oblong,  dark  green  above, 
slightly  paler  beneath,  acute  or  short-acuminate  at 
apex,  wedge-shaped  at  base.  Flowers  appear  in  June 
and  July,  pale  rose  varying  to  white,  borne  in  corym- 
bose clusters  from  scaly,  cone-like  buds  formed  the  au- 
tumn before.  Pedicels  are  glandular,  viscid  pubes- 
cent ;  corollas  rather  deeply  five-cleft  into  oval  obtuse 
lobes,  rose-colored  varying  to  white,  sprinkled  with 
yellowish  or  orange  spots  within  ;  calyx-lobes  oblong- 
obtuse  ;  capsule  oblong,  puberulent. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  beautiful  hybrids  now  in 
cultivation,  our  native  Rhododendron  is  still  a  plant 
that  charms  by  its  most  commended  beauty.  Its 
chosen  home  is  a  shaded  nook  by  the  side  of  a  moun- 
tain stream  ;  its  pale  pink  flowers  ere  they  fall  are 
overtopped  by  the  shoot  that  started  with  the  flower- 
bud,  and  the  blooming  period,  beginning  with  us  at 
the  north  in  July,  extends  into  late  August. 

Lapland  Rose  Bay,  Rhododendron  lapponiciun — a 
dwarfed  subarctic  form,  still  lingers  on  the  summits 
of  the  higher  mountains  of  New  England  and  New 
York. 

ALLEGHANY    MENZIESIA 

Menziesia  pilbsa. 

Named  in  honor  of  Archibald  Menzies,  surgeon  and  natu- 
ralist, who  in  Vancouver's  voyage  brought  the  first  known 
species  from  the  northwest  coast. 

Erect  shrub,  two  to  five  feet  high  ;  found  in  mountain  woods 
from  Pennsylvania  to  Georgia.  Twigs  hairy  and  chaffy. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  oval,  oblong  or  obovate,  one  to 
two  inches  long,  narrowed  at  base,  margin  entire,  ciliate,  obtuse 

364 


SAND    MYRTLE 


Sand  Myrtle,  Dendriiun  buxtfoliitm. 
Leaves  #'  to  J4'  l°ng- 


HEATH    FAMILY 

or  acute  with  a  glandular  bristle  at  apex.  When  full  grown 
rough-hairy  above,  slightly  glaucous  and  often  chaffy  on  veins 
below.  Petioles  short,  downy. 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  small,  greenish  purple  bells, 
borne  on  slender  pedicels,  in  few-flowered  terminal  umbels,  de- 
veloped from  scaly  buds.  Pedicels  threadlike,  glandular.  Calyx 
five-lobed,  downy  ;  corolla  urn-shaped  ;  stamens  eight,  included, 
filaments  smooth,  anthers  awnless  ;  ovary  four-celled.  Capsules 
beset  with  short  glandular  bristles.  Seeds  many,  pointed  at 
each  end. 

SAND    MYRTLE 
Dendrium  biixifblium,     Leiophyllum  buxifblium. 

Dendrium,  a  tree,  named  according  to  the  law  of  opposites. 
Leiophyllum,  smooth  leaf. 

A  low,  evergreen  shrub  with  box-like  foliage,  widely  branch- 
ing, four  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Native  of  the  sandy  pine- 
barrens  of  New  Jersey  and  farther  south. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  crowded,  evergreen,  simple,  coriaceous, 
one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  long,  oval  or  oblong,  acute  at 
base,  entire,  somewhat  re  volute  margin,  obtuse  at  apex  ;  dark 
green  and  shining  above,  paler  and  black-dotted  beneath  ;  mid- 
vein  conspicuous  ;  other  veins  obscure. 

Floivers. — -April  to  June.  Numerous,  small,  white  or  rose- 
colored,  borne  in  small  terminal  umbel-like  clusters.  Bracts  per- 
sistent. 

Calyx. — Five-parted  ;  segments  rigid,  acute,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  ovate,  spreading,  white  or  pink. 

Stamens. — Ten,  exserted  ;  anthers  reddish  purple,  two-celled. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  two  to  five-celled  ;  style  slender, 
straight. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid,  two  to  five-valved,  splitting  from  the 
top. 

This  is  an  odd  little  evergreen  bush  which  in  blos- 
soming time  covers  itself  profusely  with  corymbs  of 
tiny  white  flowers  conspicuous  for  their  purplish  an- 
thers. It  fruits  just  as  profusely  as  it  blossoms. 

366 


MOUNTAIN    LAUREL 

ALPINE   OR  TRAILING  AZALEA 

Chamieclstus  procumbcns. 
Chamacistus,  meaning  ground-cistus. 

A  tufted,  much-branched,  trailing,  dwarf,  evergreen  shrub 
with  branches  two  to  four  inches  long.  Subarctic,  found  on  the 
summits  of  the  White  Mountains,  in  Labrador,  arctic  America, 
Alaska. 

Leaves. — Mostly  opposite,  crowded,  evergreen,  linear-oblong, 
one-sixth  to  one-fourth  an  inch  long,  margin  entire,  revolute, 
obtuse  at  apex  ;  dark  green  and  shining  above,  paler  beneath  ; 
midrib  prominent  below.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers.-  -July,  August.  Small,  pink  or  white  bells,  solitary 
or  clustered,  from  terminal  buds. 

Calyx. — Five-parted,  segments  purplish,  ovate-lanceolate,  per- 
sistent. 

Corolla. — Broad  bell-shaped,  pink  or  white,  with  five  obtuse 
lobes. 

Stamens. — Five,  included,  inserted  on  corolla ;  anthers  didy- 
mous. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  two-celled,  style  short  ;  stigma  cap- 
itate. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  subglobose,  two  to  three-celled,  many- 
seeded. 

MOUNTAIN    LAUREL 
K Aim  ia   latifblia. 

Kalmia  commemorates  the  labors  of  Peter  Kalm,  a  pu- 
pil of  Linnaeus  who  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the 
plant  and  who  travelled  in  this  country  early  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century. 

A  dense,  broad  shrub,  five  to  ten  feet  high,  with  many  stiff, 
crooked  branches  and  a  round,  compact  head;  tolerant  of  many 
locations  and  all  soils  except  those  containing  lime.  Ranges 
from  Newfoundland  to  Hudson  Bay,  and  along  highlands  and 

367 


HEATH    FAMILY 

mountains  southward  to  Georgia  and  Michigan.  Root  fibrous, 
matted ;  easily  cultivated ;  foliage  has  the  bad  reputation  of 
poisoning  cattle. 

Leaves. — Alternate  or  in  pairs,  or  in  threes,  simple,  evergreen, 
three  to  four  inches  long,  oblong,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire, 
acute  or  rounded  at  apex  and  tipped  with  a  callous  point.  They 
come  out  of  the  bud  conduplicate ;  pale  green  slightly  tinged 
with  pink  and  covered  with  glandular  white  hairs  ;  when  full 
grown  are  thick  and  rigid,  dark  shining  green  above,  pale  yellow 
green  beneath.  They  remain  green  and  fall  the  second  summer. 
Petioles  stout,  short,  slightly  flattened. 

Flowers. — May,  June,  from  buds  which  are  found  in  autumn 
in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves  in  the  form  of  slender  cones  of 
downy  green  scales.  These  buds  develop  a  compound  many- 
flowered  corymb,  four  or  five  inches  across,  and  overlapped  at 
the  flowering  time  by  the  leafy  branches  of  the  year.  Buds  and 
new  flowers  bright  rose  pink,  afterward  fading  to  pale  pink  or 
white  and  only  lined  with  pink.  Pedicels  are  red  or  green, 
hairy  or  scurfy  and  furnished  with  two  bracts  at  base. 

Calyx. — Five-parted  ;  lobes  imbricate  in  bud,  narrow,  acute, 
covered  with  glutinous  hairs.  Disk  prominent,  ten-lobed. 

Corolla. — Saucer-shaped,  rose-colored,  white  or  pink,  about 
one  inch  across.  Tube  short,  with  ten  tiny  sacs  just  below  the 
five-parted  border ;  lobes  ovate,  acute,  imbricate  in  bud.  The 
border  is  marked  on  the  inner  surface  with  a  waving  rosy  line 
and  is  slightly  purple  above  the  sac.  The  buds  are  ten-ribbed 
from  the  sacs  to  the  acute  apex. 

Stamens. — Ten,  hypogynous,  shorter  than  the  corolla ;  at  first 
held  in  the  sacs  of  the  corolla ;  filaments  threadlike ;  anthers 
oblong,  adnate,  two-celled  ;  cells  opening  longitudinally. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five  -  celled  ;  style  threadlike,  ex- 
serted  ;  stigma  capitate  ;  ovules  many  in  each  cell. 

Fruit. — Woody  capsule,  many-seeded,  depressed,  globular, 
slightly  five-lobed,  five-celled,  five-valved ;  crowned  with  the 
persistent  calyx,  covered  with  viscid  hairs.  Seeds  oblong. 

The  Laurels  possess  a  remarkable  adaptation  for 
cross-fertilization.  As  each  curious,  angular,  pocketed 
corolla-cup  opens,  the  stigma  appears  erect  in  the  very 

368 


MOUNTAIN   LAUREL 


Mountain  Laurel,  Kalmia  latifolia. 

Leaves  3'  to  4'  long.     Corymbs  4'  to  $'  across. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

centre  of  the  flower.  The  anthers  are  all  hiding  their 
youthful  heads  ;  in  fact,  every  one  of  them  is  tucked 
into  a  pocket  which  fits  it  perfectly.  The  filaments 
are  strained  to  a  bow,  and  so  delicately  is  the  mechan- 
ism adjusted  that  a  jar  will  release  the  anthers.  Now 
comes  the  wandering  bee,  "  voluble,  velvety,  vehe- 
ment," and  enters  the  flower.  The  soft  body  covers 
the  stigma,  the  weight  and  the  motion  set  the  filaments 
free  and  the  bee  departs  "  a  dusty  fellow  " — whose  legs 
are  "  powdered  with  gold."  In  fact  the  bee  carries 
off  the  greater  part  of  the  pollen  of  that  flower  and 
deposits  some  of  it  upon  the  stigma  of  the  next  flower 
visited  ;  and  so  the  process  goes  on  through  all  the 
summer  day. 

The  Laurel  flourishes  in  gardens  if  only  there  be 
no  lime  there.  The  plant  may  be  brought  from  the 
mountain  side  and  if  the  roots  are  uninjured  and  the 
stems  pruned  back  a  little  it  will  grow.  It  prefers  leaf 
mould,  but  will  grow  in  any  good  soil. 

Laurel  wood  is  very  hard  and  solid,  and  in  great  de- 
mand for  various  purposes,  one  of  which  is  indicated 
by  the  common  name  Spoon- wood. 

Kalmia  angustifolia,  the  Sheep  Laurel  or  Lambkill, 
is  found  growing  in  company  with  Kalmia  latifolia. 
It  is  a  smaller  bush,  with  narrower  leaves  and  smaller 
blossoms.  The  blossom  is  of  the  kalmia  type,  with  the 
saucer-shaped  corolla,  and  the  anthers  caught  in  tiny 
pockets.  Possibty  it  prefers  moister  soil  than  Kalmia 
latifoha,  and  is  found  in  more  open  places.  The 
flower  clusters  are  lateral  and  a  stem  in  full  bloom 
looks  like  a  flowery  cylinder. 

All  the  laurels  are  credited  with  poisoning  young 

370 


LAMBKILL 


Lambkill,  Kalmia  angiistifolia. 

Leaves  2'  to  5'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

animals.  Older  cattle  know  enough  to  let  them  alone, 
but  in  early  spring  when  the  tender  leaves  are  appear- 
ing, calves  and  young  cattle,  eager  for  green  things, 
eat,  and  unless  promptly  treated,  die. 

The  plants  are  a  constant  menace  to  the  farmers  on 
the  mountains  of  Virginia,  and  the  common  names 
Lambkill,  Calf  Kill,  Sheep  Poison,  clearly  voice  the 
"deep  damnation  "  of  rural  opinion  concerning  them. 

SWAMP  LAUREL.     PALE  LAUREL 

Kdlmia  glauca. 

Low,  slender-stemmed,  evergreen,  six  to  eighteen  inches  high ; 
native  of  bogs  and  swamps.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to 
Alaska,  southward  to  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Michigan. 

Stems.  —  Smooth,  yellow  brown;  branchlets  two-ridged; 
ridges  change  position  at  each  node. 

Leaves. — Evergreen:  opposite  or  sometimes  in  threes,  an  inch 
and  a  quarter  to  two  inches  long,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide, 
nearly  sessile,  oblong  or  linear-oblong,  margin  entire  and  revo- 
lute,  apex  acute,  bright  shining  green  above,  glaucous  or  whitish 
beneath;  midvein  depressed,  whitish  above,  prominent  beneath. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Of  kalmia  type,  bluish  pink,  borne 
in  simple  terminal  umbels  of  one  to  thirteen  flowers.  Pedicel  an 
inch  long,  slender,  madder  red  ;  each  subtended  by  a  bract. 

Calyx. —  Five -parted;  segments  scarious  margined,  pink- 
tipped,  imbricate  in  bud,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Saucer-shaped,  about  half  an  inch  across,  five-lobed, 
ten-keeled  in  bud,  with  ten  tiny  sacs  in  the  saucer,  into  which 
the  stamens  are  thrust. 

Stamens.— Ten,  shorter  than  corolla,  filaments  pink,  stamens 
dark  reddish  brown,  pocketed  in  the  corolla  sacs,  springing  forth 
by  means  of  pressure  and  delivering  pollen  from  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  five-celled,  ovules  numerous ;  style  slender,  ex- 
serted ;  stigma  depressed-capitate. 

Fruit — Depressed-globose  capsule,  glabrous  about  an  eighth 
of  an  inch  across. 

372 


SWAMP    LAUREL 


Swamp  Laurel,  Kalmia  glauca* 

Leaves  ij£'  to  i!  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

This  exquisite  little  evergreen  is  found  in  company 
with  Andromeda  polifolia,  and  they  bloom  together. 
The  flower  is  bright  rose  lilac,  as  it  comes  from  the 
bud,  fading  later  after  the  fashion  of  all  the  kalmias, 
but  always  beautiful.  The  blossoms  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  well  known  Mountain  Laurel,  but  the 
flower  cluster  is  much  smaller,  containing  not  more 
than  a  dozen  flowers ;  each  with  a  long  slender  pedi- 
cel. In  northern  Michigan  this  plant  covers  acres  of 
swamp  land  and  during  the  blooming  period  produces 
magnificent  color  effects. 

Transferred  to  the  garden  the  little  Laurel  improves 
in  habit,  is  less  straggling,  but  never  becomes  a  com- 
pact shrub.  It  blooms  much  earlier  than  either  Kal- 
mia  latifolia  or  Kalmia  angustifolia,  and  is  worthy  of 
cultivation  for  that  reason  alone. 


MOUNTAIN   HEATH.     BRYANTHUS 

Phyllodoce  cceriilca.      Brydnthus  taxifblius. 

Bryanthus,  from  bryon,  moss,  and 
anthos,  flower,  because  growing 
among  mosses.  Phyllodoce,  a  sea- 
nymph. 

Low,     evergreen,     arctic-alpine 
undershrub,  with  yew-like  leaves ; 
found  on  the  summits  of  the  high- 
Mountain  Heath,  pbyiiodoce     ^  mountains  of  Maine  and  New 
««•«/«.  After  Brinon  &     Hampshire.     Leaves  alternate,  lin- 

Brown. 

ear,  crowded,  about  a  quarter  of  an 

inch  long.     Flowers  pink  or  purplish  bells,  in  nodding 
terminal    umbels.     Corolla    oblong    urn-shaped,    five- 

374 


SWAMP   LEUCOTHOE 


toothed,  contracted  at  the  throat.  Stamens  ten,  in- 
cluded ;  ovary  five-celled,  style  included;  capsule  sub- 
globose. 

CASSIOPE 

Cassiope  hypnoldcs. 

Cassiope  was  the  mother  of  Andromeda.     The  name  has 
no  obvious  application  to  the  plant. 

An  arctic-alpine,  tufted,  evergreen  shrub   with   the 
aspect  of  a  moss;    stems   rising   two  to  four  inches 
high.     Leaves    loosely    imbricate,    linear,    acute,   flat 
above,     convex     be- 
neath, one-twelfth  to 
one-sixth  of   an   inch 
long.  The  flowers  are 
open    bells,  white  or 
rose-color,  one-fourth 
to  one-third  of  an  inch 
across,  solitary,  nod- 
ding on  slender  erect 
peduncles. 

Found  on  the  sum- 
mits of  the  higher  mountains  of  New  England  and  the 
Adirondacks  of  New  York  ;  throughout  arctic  Amer- 
ica, also  in  arctic  Europe  and  Asia. 

SWAMP    LEUCOTHOE 
Leucdthoe   racembsa. 

Leucothoe,  a  sea-nymph,  one  of  the  fifty  daughters  of  Ne- 
reus  :  possibly  referring  to  the  plant  as  loving  wet  places. 

Five  to  twelve  feet  high  ;  found  in  swamps  and  moist  thickets. 
Ranges  from  Massachusetts  to  Florida  and  Louisiana,  mostly 
near  the  coast.  Suckers  freely. 

375 


Cassiope,  Cassiope  bypnoides.     After  Britton  &  Brown. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  three  and  a  half  inches  long, 
oblong  to  ovate,  acute  or  rounded  at  base,  serrulate,  acute  at  apex, 
usually  with  a  glandular  point  ;  when  full  grown  are  glabrous, 
bright  shining  green  above,  paler,  slightly  pubescent  on  the 
veins  beneath.  In  autumn  they  become  a  brilliant  scarlet  or 
vary  through  purple  and  scarlet  and  orange ;  and  remain  until 
beaten  off  by  storms.  Petioles  very  short. 

Flowers. — May,  June,  with  or  before  the  leaves.  Perfect,  white, 
bell-shaped,  borne  in  one-sided  racemes  three  to  four  inches 
long,  which  are  mostly  terminal,  solitary  or  clustered  ;  pedicels 
short,  bracted,  jointed  with  the  rachis.  Fragrant. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  distinct,  acute,  persistent,  imbricate  in 
bud,  bracted. 

Corolla. — White,  oblong-cylindrical,  contracted  at  the  mouth, 
about  three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  five-toothed. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included  ;  filaments  white,  awl-shaped  ;  an- 
thers oblong,  two-awned  ;  cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled,  five-valved ;  style  slender, 
exserted,  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  depressed-globose,  surrounded  by  the  per- 
sistent calyx  and  bracts.  August,  September. 

Garden  and  Forest  says:  "The  value  of  the  northern 
native  plant  Leucothoe  racetnosa  for  the  decoration  of 
the  parks  and  gardens  of  the  northern  states  is  very 
great.  It  is  a  hardy,  fast  -  growing  shrub  which 
sometimes  attains  the  height  of  ten  feet ;  its  slender 
branches  are  covered  with  dark  green  leaves  which  late 
in  the  autumn,  long  after  those  of  every  other  tree 
and  shrub  cultivated  in  gardens  have  fallen,  assume  a 
brilliant  and  beautiful  scarlet  color.  Its  handsome, 
waxy,  white,  cup-shaped  flowers  are  produced  in  long, 
erect,  or  slightly  curved  terminal  racemes  from  buds 
formed  the  previous  autumn,  and  covered  during  the 
winter  with  closely  imbricated  bracts.  The  splendid 
color  of  the  leaves  of  this  shrub  in  the  late  autumn 

376 


SWAMP    LEUCOTHOE 


Swamp  Leucothce,  Leucolboe  raeenrosa. 

Leaves  i'  to  3J4'  long.     Racemes  3'  to  4'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

makes  it  one  of  the  most  desirable  hardy  plants  for  our 
northern  gardens." 

Although  a  swamp  plant,  Leucotlioe  racemosa  can  be 
readily  cultivated  ;  it  needs  peat  soil  or  sandy  loam, 
and  a  rather  moist  situation  ;  given  these  it  grows 
rapidly  and  becomes  a  broad  bush.  It  is  a  tall,  ele- 
gant, clean-limbed  plant,  attractive  in  winter  because 
of  the  deep  red  of  its  twigs  and  branchlets.  In  spring- 
time it  bears  racemes  of  small,  fragrant,  heath-like 
flowers,  but  its  time  of  glory  is  late  November,  when  it 
flames,  a  torch  of  scarlet,  lighting  up  the  swampy 
thickets,  within  sight  of  the  sea,  from  Massachusetts 
to  Florida. 

CATESBY'S   LEUCOTHOE 

Leucothoe   catesbaei. 

An  evergreen  shrub,  three  to  six  feet  high,  found  on  the 
banks  of  streams.  Ranges  from  Virginia  to  Georgia,  westward 
to  Tennessee.  Is  easily  cultivated. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  evergreen,  leathery,  lanceolate  or 
ovate-lanceolate,  three  to  six  inches  long,  rounded  at  base, 
sharply  serrulate,  acuminate  at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  are  dark 
shining  green  above,  paler  green  below  ;  midvein  and  primary 
veins  conspicuous.  Petioles  greenish  brown,  about  half  an  inch 
long. 

Flowers. — April.  Perfect,  white,  narrow  bell-shaped,  borne 
in  axillary,  densely-flowered  racemes  ;  central  axis  and  pedicels 
white. 

Calyx, — Sepals  five,  distinct,  not  imbricated  in  flower. 

Corolla. — White,  narrowly  cylindric,  constricted  at  throat, 
five-toothed. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included,  filaments  white,  anthers  yellow. 

Pistu. — Ovary  five-celled,  style  white,  stigma  green. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  depressed-globular,  five-celled,  five-lobed. 
Seeds  many. 

378 


CATESBY'S   LEUCOTHOE 


Catesby's  Leucothoe,  Leiicotbot  catesbai. 

Leaves  3'  to  (/  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Although  Catesby's  Leucothoe  is  a  bush  of  southern 
range  it  is  perfectly  hardy  at  the  north  and  is  a  valu- 
able addition  to  our  cultivated  shrubs. 

It  blooms  early  ;  the  flower  buds  are  developed  in 
autumn  in  the  axils  of  the  persistent  leavps  of  the  year 
and  look  like  cylindric  cones  about  half  an  inch  long, 
with  close  imbricate  scales.  As  the  weather  grows 
cold  these  scales  turn  a  deep  red,  the  same  color 
suffusing  in  a  slighter  degree  the  ends  of  the  zigzag 
stems ;  at  the  same  time  the  upper  leaves  with  their 
petioles  often  color  as  richly  as  the  flower  buds.  The 
lower  leaves  for  the  most  part  retain  their  deep  lus- 
trous green  color,  and  the  contrast  between  the  upper 
and  the  lower  parts  of  the  plant  only  adds  to  its 
beauty. 

The  recurved  stems  are  three  to  six  feet  high,  the 
evergreen  leaves  are  thick  and  leathery  ;  and  the  white 
waxen  bells  are  borne  in  crowded  spike-like  racemes. 
The  plant  prefers  peat  soil  and  damp  situations,  but 
will  make  the  best  of  almost  any  location. 

WILD  ROSEMARY.     MARSH  HOLY  ROSE. 

Andrdmeda  polifblia. 
Andromeda,  a  mythological  name  of  fanciful  application. 

Slender,  with  stems  but  little  branched,  one  to  three  feet  high, 
foliage  acid;  found  in  bogs.  Ranges  from  Labrador  and  New- 
foundland through  arctic  America  to  Alaska  and  British  Amer- 
ica, southward  to  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Michigan. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  linear-oblong  or  lanceolate,  one 
and  one-half  to  three  inches  long,  narrowed  at  base,  margins 
revolute,  apex  acute  or  obtuse,  often  with  a  small  point ;  when 

380 


WILD    ROSEMARY 


Wild  Rosemary,  Andromeda 


Leaves  ij£'  to  )'  'ong- 


HEATH    FAMILY 

full  grown  are  dull  green,  smooth  above,  white-glaucous  beneath; 
midvein  very  strongly  ridged  beneath,  petioles  short. 

flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  tiny  globes,  white  or  tinged 
with  pink,  borne  in  few-flowered  terminal  umbels.  Bracts  small, 
persistent.  Pedicels  one-fourth  to  one-half  an  inch  long. 

Calyx. —  Deeply  five-pointed,  persistent ;  lobes  triangular- 
ovate,  acute.  Disk  ten-lobed. 

Corolla. — White,  globose,  urn-shaped,  about  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diameter,  five-toothed  ;  teeth  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included  ;  filaments  bearded  ;  anthers  ovate, 
obtuse,  awned,  fixed  near  the  middle ;  cells  opening  by  a  termi- 
nal pore. 

fruit. — Capsule,  globose,  five -celled,  five-valved,  many- 
seeded. 

This  plant  is  always  fixed  in  some  turfy  hillock  in  the  midst  of  swamps, 
as  Andromeda  herself  was  chained  to  a  rock  in  the  sea  which  bathed  her 
feet  as  the  fresh  water  does  the  roots  of  this  plant. 

—  "Tour  of  Lapland."     LlNN/EUS. 

The  lonely  position  of  this  little  shrub  in  the  midst  of 
its  native  swamps  seems  to  have  impressed  Linnaeus 
to  a  wonderful  degree  ;  and  consequently  he  named  it 
Andromeda — the  rock-bound  maiden.  It  is  a  semi- 
aquatic,  subarctic  plant,  and  like  so  many  of  its  kind 
knows  no  distinction  between  Europe,  America  or 
Asia,  but  is  native  to  all.  Although  it  loves  the  cold 
deep  swamps  that  border  the  limits  of  eternal  snow, 
nevertheless  when  transferred  to  the  garden  border 
it  will  grow  and  flower  as  freely  as  in  its  native  wilds. 

The  flowers  are  clusters  of  small  globes  usually 
white,  but  sometimes  flesh-colored,  and  sometimes 
tipped  with  red ;  they  retain  their  beauty  for  nearly  a 
month. 


382 


MOUNTAIN    FETTER-BUSH 


Mountain  Fetter-bush,  Pifris  Jloribmida. 

Leaves   ij£'  to  3'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

MOUNTAIN    FETTER-BUSH 

•   .' 

Pier  is  floribtinda. 

Pieris,  from  Pieria,  a  town  in  Thessaly. 

Evergreen,  native  to  the  Alleghanies,  found  in  Virginia  and 
southward  ;  also  hardy  in  northern  gardens.  From  two  to  six 
feet  high ;  with  stems  nearly  erect  and  with  very  leafy  branches. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  evergreen,  one  and  one-half  to 
three  inches  long,  leathery,  oblong  to  ovate-lanceolate,  rounded 
at  base,  serrulate  and  bristly-ciliate,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex  ; 
when  full  grown  dark  shining  green  above,  paler  and  black-dot- 
ted below.  Petioles  short,  bristly  when  young. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  white,  five  -  angled  bells, 
borne  in  terminal,  slender,  clustered,  dense  racemes  about  three 
inches  long. 

Calyx. — Five-lobed  ;  lobes  ovate-lanceolate,  acute,  valvate  in 
the  five-angled  bud,  persistent. 

Corolla. — White,  urn-shaped,  slightly  five-angled,  five-saccate 
at  base  ;  five-toothed  ;  teeth  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included,  filaments  without  appendages  ;  an- 
thers oblong,  each  with  a  slender  awn  on  its  back,  two-celled  ; 
cells  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled ;  style  slender,  ovules 
many. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid-globose,  sitting  in  the  calyx  and 
crowned  with  the  slender  style.  Seeds  many. 

Pieris  floribunda  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of  the  broad- 
leaved  evergreens  peculiar  to  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains, and  is  a  most  charming  ornamental  shrub.  The 
foliage  is  so  dense  that  the  stems  and  branches  are 
concealed  from  sight.  The  flower  buds  practically 
mature  the  previous  autumn,  and  stand  all  winter 
above  the  evergreen  foliage,  apparently  without  the 
slightest  protection,  ready  to  burst  into  bloom  when 
the  almanac  says  it  is  time.  What  is  currently  re 

384 


STAGGER-BUSH 


Stagger-bush,  Fieri s  manana. 

Leaves  2'  to  )'  long.     Flowers  ,y  to  V  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

garded  as  a  late  spring  has  little  effect  upon  these  flow- 
ers ;  the  sun  is  up  and  so  are  they ;  sometimes  they 
seem  fairly  to  force  the  season.  They  are  white, 
urn-shaped,  five-angled  cups,  borne  in  long,  branching 
racemes.  The  plant  is  worth  cultivating,  however, 
even  if  it  should  never  bear  a  flower;  the  leaves  are  so 
green,  clean,  bright  and  glossy. 

Gardeners  recommend  that  the  shrub  be  protected 
with  evergreen  boughs  to  prevent  winter  burning. 

STAGGER-BUSH 
Pleris  mariana. 

Pieris,  from  Pieria,  the  town  in  Thessaly  where  the  Muses 
congregated  ;  of  no  application  to  this  plant.  Mariana, 
because  it  was  first  described  as  a  "  Maryland  shrub." 
Stagger-bush  refers  to  its  reputation  for  poisoning  cattle. 

A  low  shrub,  one  to  four  feet  high ;  found  in  low,  wet,  sandy 
locations.  Ranges  from  Rhode  Island  to  Florida,  mostly  near 
the  coast.  Hardy  throughout  the  north. 

Leaves. — Simple,  alternate,  tardily  deciduous,  two  to  three 
inches  long,  oval  or  oblong,  narrowed  or  rounded  at  base,  mar- 
gin entire,  slightly  revolute,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex  ;  when  full 
grown  are  shining  dark  green,  coriaceous,  smooth  above,  spar- 
ingly pubescent  on  the  veins  and  black-dotted  beneath.  In 
autumn  they  turn  an  intense  scarlet,  and  cling  late. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  white,  bell-shaped,  borne  in 
nodding  lateral  umbels  on  the  many  leafless  branches  of  the  pre- 
ceding year,  so  forming  a  long  compound  inflorescence.  Pedi- 
cels bearing  one  to  three  bracts. 

Calyx. — Deeply  five-parted  ;  lobes  lanceolate,  acute,  valvate 
in  bud,  persistent ;  disk  ten-lobed. 

Corolla. — White,  or  faintly  pink,  ovoid-cylindric,  about  half 
an  inch  long,  five-toothed  ;  teeth  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten  ;  filaments  hairy  on  the  outer  side,  two- 
toothed  near  the  apex  ;  anthers  awnless,  two-celled  ;  cells  open- 
ing by  a  terminal  pore. 

386 


PRIVET   ANDROMEDA 


Privet  Andromeda,  Xolisma  lignstritta,  in  fruit. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled  ;  style  columnar ;  stigma 
truncate. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  ovoid-pyramidal,  small  five-angled,  five- 
celled.  Seeds  many. 

The  Stagger-bush  is  of  somewhat  straggling  habit, 
yet  very  pretty  and  useful  as  a  border  shrub,  blossom- 
ing profusely"  in  early  spring.  The  flowers  are  snow 
white  waxen  bells  which  appear  in  clusters  from  axil- 
lary buds  crowded  on  the  naked  branches  of  last 
year's  wood.  The  branches  are  wand-like  ;  and  the 
leaves  in  autumn  become  intensely  scarlet. 

The  plant  was  well  known  to  our  earlier  botanists, 
and  was  first  described  as  a  Maryland  shrub  with  the 
leaves  of  a  euonymus  and  the  flowers  of  an  arbutus. 
It  was  sent  over  to  England  in  1736,  and  has  been  cul- 
tivated there  for  many  years. 

PRIVET   ANDROMEDA 

Xottsma  ligihtrina.     Lybnia  ligiistrina.     Andrdmeda  ligustrina. 

Ligustrin,  the  bitter  principle  of  the  Privet.     Otherwise, 
these  names  seem  to  be  without  meaning. 

Bushy,  three  to  twelve  feet  high,  growing  in  swamps  and  wet 
soil ;  stem  and  branches  light  ash-colored  with  stringy  bark. 
Ranges  from  New  England  to  Florida  and  west  to  Arkansas. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  sometimes  tufted,  simple,  oblong,  obo- 
vate,  oval  or  ovate,  one  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long,  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  minutely  serrulate  or  entire,  acute  or  acuminate 
at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  glabrous  or  pubescent  above,  usually 
downy  beneath.  Petioles  short,  downy. 

Flowers. — May,  July.  Perfect,  small,  white  globes,  borne  in 
terminal  or  axillary,  panicled  leafless  racemes.  Pedicels  thread- 
like, downy.  Calyx-lobes  triangular-ovate  ;  corolla  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter  ;  stamens  eight  or  ten,  included  ;  ovary  five- 
celled  ;  capsule  depressed-globose,  obtusely  five-angled. 

388 


CASSANDRA 


^ 


Cassandra,  Cbamcrdapbne  calyculata, 

Leaves  JjJ'  to  i'  long. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Most  plants  furnish  at  least  some  provocation  for 
the  Latin  names  which  they  bear,  but  the  Privet  An- 
dromeda seems  most  unfortunate  of  its  class.  The 
botanic  name  of  this  shrub  appears  in  the  books  as 
"  unexplained ; "  its  English  one  is  simply  appropri- 
ated from  those  of  two  other  plants. 

Apart  from  its  ill  luck  as  to  names  it  seems  fortu- 
nate enough,  for  it  is  really  a  very  pretty  bush.  In 
early  spring  it  is  conspicuous  for  its  long  panicles  of 
tiny,  white,  globe-like  flowers  borne  at  the  very  end  or 
upon  the  upper  part  of  the  branching  stems.  It  is 
rare  that  a  corolla  so  nearly  attains  a  sphere.  The 
flowers  are  borne  upon  leafless  stems,  and  these  con- 
tinue leafless  so  that  the  fruit  apparently  is  upon  a 
dry  branch. 

CASSANDRA.      LEATHER-LEAF 

Chamceddphne  calyculata.     Andromeda  calyculata. 
Cassdndra  calyculata. 

Chamcedaphne ,  ground  or  low  Daphne.  Andromeda  and 
Cassandra,  mythical  terms  without  obvious  application. 
Calyculata  refers  to  the  two  bracts  beneath  the  sepals  as 
forming  a  secondary  calyx. 

Low,  leafy,  evergreen,  from  two  to  four  feet  high,  forming 
large  beds  at  the  edge  of  swamps  or  in  boggy  meadows.  Ranges 
from  Newfoundland  to  Alaska,  south  to  Georgia,  west  to  Michi- 
gan and  Illinois  ;  also  occurs  in  northern  Europe  and  Asia. 

Stems. — Recent  shoots  covered  with  minute  scurfy  scales  ; 
older  stems  dark  copper  color,  smooth. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  evergreen,  shining,  leathery,  one-half  to 
an  inch  and  a  half  long,  oblong  or  oblanceolate,  narrowed  at 
base,  obscurely  denticulate  and  revolute  at  margin,  acute  or 
obtuse  at  apex,  covered  with  scaly  dots  which  are  rust  colored 

390 


CASSANDRA 

beneath  ;  upper  leaves  gradually  smaller ;  the  uppermost  reduced 
to  mere  bracts.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — April.  Perfect,  solitary,  white  or  tinged  with  rose 
purple,  urn-shaped,  borne  on  short  pedicels  in  the  axils  of  the 
small  upper  leaves,  forming  terminal  one-sided,  leafy  racemes. 

Calyx. — Sepals  five,  persistent,  bracted  at  base. 

Corolla. — White,  oblong-cylindric,  narrowed  at  the  throat, 
five-toothed,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long;  teeth  recurved. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included  ;  filaments  flat,  smooth  ;  anther-cells 
tapering  upward  into  tubular  beaks,  awnless  ;  cells  opening  by 
terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  five-celled,  five-grooved ;  style  slen- 
der ;  ovules  many. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  depressed-globose,  opening  by  five  valves, 
two-coated  ;  outer  coat  splitting  into  five  parts,  inner  into  ten ; 
persistent  throughout  the  winter,  many  seeded.  Seeds  flattened, 
wingless. 

The  Cassandra  often  blooms  before  the  snow  is 
gone,  but  this  is  not  difficult,  because  the  flower  buds 
were  formed  the  summer  before,  and  sometimes  in  late 
autumn  they  show  the  white  tips  of  the  corolla  extend- 
ing beyond  the  stiff  sepals.  So  well  prepared  are  they 
that  a  few  days  of  sunshine  develop  the  flowers.  As 
the  little  bells  become  perfect  in  form  and  texture  they 
droop  upon  their  delicate  slender  stems  and  make  a 
most  charming  wand-like  spray. 

The  common  name  Leather- leaf  is  appropriate 
though  not  pretty ;  Cassandra,  the  name  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  Priam  and  Hecuba,  is  pretty  but  means  nothing. 
The  foliage  effect  of  the  plant  is  good,  and  this  with 
its  early  flowers  makes  it  worthy  of  cultivation. 


39i 


HEATH   FAMILY 

MAYFLOWER.     TRAILING  ARBUTUS 

Epigcea  repens. 
Epig&a,  upon  the  earth,  in  reference  to  its  trailing  growth. 

A  prostrate  or  trailing  shrub,  with  short  branches  and  ever- 
green and  reticulated  leaves;  bristly  with  rusty  hairs.  Found 
in  sandy  or  rocky  woods  and  ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  the 
Northwest  Territories  and  southward  to  Michigan,  Kentucky  and 
Florida.  Frequently  forms  patches.. 

Its  local  distribution  is  governed  largely  by  the  character  of 
the  protecting  vegetation,  and  also  to  a  great  extent  by  the  soil ; 
thriving  best  in  light  sandy  or  gravelly  soil,  but  sometimes  found 
in  clayey  earth.  But  one  species  beside  Epigcea  repens  is  known, 
and  that  is  a  native  of  Japan. 

Leaves.— Alternate,  thick,  evergreen,  pinnately  veined,  one  to 
three  inches  long,  ovate  or  nearly  orbicular,  cordate  or  rounded 
at  base,  mostly  glabrous  above,  hairy  beneath,  green  both  sides. 
Petioles  short,  downy,  slender. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Perfect,  or  dioecious,  pink  or  white, 
in  axillary  clusters  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Sepals  five, 
oblong,  persistent,  dry,  imbricated;  corolla  salver-form;  limb 
five-lobed  ;  stamens  ten  ;  filaments  slender ;  anthers  oblong, 
awnless,  opening  lengthwise.  Style  slender,  its  apex  forming  a 
sort  of  ring  and  partly  adnate  to  the  five  little  lobes  of  the 
stigma.  Capsule  depressed-globular,  five-lobed,  five-celled,  many 
seeded. 

The  flowers  appear  in  early  spring,  exhaling  a  rich  spicy  fra- 
grance ;  are  dimorphous  as  to  style  and  stamens,  and  sub-di- 
oecious. 

This  is  the  famous  Mayflower  of  Pilgrim  devotion, 
and  although  by  many  supposed  to  be  distinctively  a 
New  England  plant,  as  a  matter  of  fact  ranges  from 
Newfoundland  to  the  borders  of  Alaska,  and  from 
Florida  to  Minnesota.  Probably  no  one  would  claim 
that,  our  Puritan  ancestors  were  especially  sensitive  to 

392 


TRAILING  ARBUTUS 


Trailing  Arbutus,  Efriga-a  repens. 

I  .caves   i'  to  >'  long. 


HEATH   FAMILY 

the  beauties  of  nature,  but  this  clustered  pink  sweet- 
ness, smiling  under  the  dry  leaves  of  the  forest  and 
blooming  ere  the  snow  banks  had  disappeared  in  the 
hollows  of  the  wood,  touched  even  them.  It  must  be 
placed  to  their  credit  that  they  named  it  well ;  how- 
ever much  they  might  have  been  assisted  by  the 
month  of  the  calendar  or  the  ship  in  the  harbor ;  and 
it  is  not  worth  while  to  look  too  closely  into  the 
sources  of  their  inspiration.  So  well  have  time  and 
literature  and  imagination  worked  together  that  to 
most  of  us  the  Trailing  Arbutus  seems  one  of  the  his- 
toric assets  of  New  England. 

Sad  Mayflower  !   watched  by  winter  stars, 

And  nursed  by  winter  gales, 
With  petals  of  the  sleeted  spars, 

And  leaves  of  frozen  sails  ! 

What  had  she  in  those  dreary  hours 

Within  her  ice-rimmed  bay, 
In  common  with  the  wild-wood  flowers, 

The  first  sweet  smiles  of  May  ! 

Yet,  "  God  be  praised  "  the  Pilgrim  said, 

Who  saw  the  blossoms  peer 
Above  the  brown  leaves,  dry  and  dead, 

"  Behold  our  Mayflower  here  !  " 

"God  wills  it;   here  our  rest  shall  be, 

Our  years  of  wandering  o'er, 
For  us  the  Mayflower  of  the  sea 

Shall  spread  her  sails  no  more. " 

O  sacred  flowers  of  faith  and  hope, 

As  sweetly  now  as  then 
Ye  bloom  on  many  a  birchen  slope, 

In  many  a  pine-dark  glen. 

— JOHN  G.  WHITTIER. 


394 


WINTERGREEN 


WINTERGREEN 
Gaulthlria  procumbens. 

Gaultheria,  named  in  honor  of  Gaulthier,  a  physician  and 
botanist  of  Canada. 

A  small  evergreen  shrub,  with  stems  creeping  on  or  below  the 
surface,  and  short,  erect  flowering  branches  three  to  five  inches 
high  bearing  at  their  summits  a  crowded  group  of  aromatic 
leaves.  Found  in  cool,  damp  woods  from 
Newfoundland  to  Manitoba  and  south- 
ward to  Michigan  and  Georgia. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  evergreen,  pin- 
nately  veined,  two  to  two  and  a  half 
inches  long,  oval,  oblong  or  ovate,  nar- 
rowed at  the  base,  serrate  with  low 
bristle-tipped  teeth,  acute  at  apex  ;  shin- 
ing; when  full  grown  dark  shining  green. 
The  young  leaves  are  a  shining  yellow 
green,  often  with  a  reddish  tinge  and  de- 
liciously  aromatic. 

Flowers. — Perfect,  white  or  pinkish, 
small,  bell-like  flowers,  axillary  near  the 
summit  of  the  tiny  erect  branches.  Ped- 
icels with  two  bractlets.  Calyx  five- 
parted,  persistent ;  corolla  urn -shaped, 

five-toothed  ;  stamens  ten,  included,  inserted  at  the  base  of  the 
corolla  ;  filament  dilated  above  the  base  ;  anther-cells  each  two- 
awned  at  the  summit,  opening  by  a  terminal  pore.  Ovary  five- 
celled,  five-lobed. 

Fruit. — Capsule  is  enclosed  by  the  calyx  which  thickens  and 
turns  fleshy  so  as  to  appear  as  a  globular  red  berry  ;  many  seeded. 

The  leaves  of  the  Wintergreen  as  they  put  forth 
from  the  top  of  the  upright  stem  are  as  near  ambrosia 
as  anything  our  northern  climate  can  produce.  The 
spicy  aromatic  flavor  appears  in  leaf  and  stem  and 
fruit,  but  is  most  delicate  and  delicious  in  the  young 

395 


Wintergreen,  Gaultberia  pro- 
cumbent. After  Britton  & 
Brown. 


HEATH   FAMILY 

leaves.  One  who  has  sought  and  eaten  them  in  child- 
hood may  wander  far  from  his  native  home,  may  for- 
get much  of  his  youth  ;  but  the  picture  of  the  leafy 
glade  of  the  forest  where  he  picked  the  Wintergreen, 
the  carpet  of  shining  leaves,  the  twin  red  berries  hang- 
ing upon  their  stems,  will  never  leave  him. 

The  plant  has  several  common  names,  Tea-berry, 
Checkerberry,  Box-berry,  Partridge-berry  ;  the  last  is 
also  given  to  Mitchclla  repens.  The  genus  is  mountain 
born  and  bred  ;  its  headquarters  are  the  slopes  of  the 
Andes,  where  nearly  one  hundred  species  appear.  In 
North  America  there  is  our  own  Gaultlieria procumbens 
and  two  or  three  other  species. 

RED   BEARBERRY.     KINNIKINIC 

Arctostdphylos  u-va-iirsi. 

Arctostaphylos,  of  two  Greek  words — a  bear  and  a  grape. 
Uva-ursi  means  the  same  ;  the  fruit  is  a  favorite  food  of 
bears. 

Evergreen,  with  numerous  trailing  and  spreading  branches; 
the  sterile  ones  two  to  three  feet  long,  the  fruiting  branches 
shorter  ;  twigs  puberulent ;  mature  stems  red.  Found  on  rocky 
hillsides  and  in  dry  sandy  soils.  Ranges  from  Labrador  to 
Alaska,  south  to  New  Jersey,  and  westward  across  the  continent 
through  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Nebraska,  Colorado  and  Califor- 
nia. Also  found  in  Europe  and  Asia.  Root  large  and  creep- 
ing; juices  astringent;  leaves  heavily  charged  with  tannic  acid. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  thick,  rigid,  one-half  to  an  inch 
long,  spatulate,  obtuse  at  apex,  margin  entire,  base  narrowed  to  a 
short  downy  petiole.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  slightly  revo- 
lute,  pale,  pubescent ;  when  full  grown  are  dark  shining  green, 
glabrous  above  and  beneath.  Midvein  prominent,  secondary 
veins  finely  reticulated. 

396 


RED    BEARBERRY 


Red  Bearberry,  /trctostapbylus  uva-ursi. 

Leaves  H'  to  "'  lo"S- 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Flowers. — May,  June.  Perfect,  small,  nodding,  white  or  pink 
bells,  borne  in  few-flowered  terminal  racemes. 

Calyx. — Reddish,  persistent,  five-parted;  lobes  roundish. 

Corolla. — Ovoid,  constricted  at  the  throat,  hairy  within,  flesh 
colored  or  white,  and  pink  tipped  ;  five-toothed  ;  teeth  re- 
curved, imbricate  in  bud  ;  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  long. 

Stamens. — Ten,  included  ;  filaments  awl-shaped,  hairy  ;  an- 
thers large,  purple,  two-awned,  opening  by  terminal  pores. 

Pistil. — Ovary  free  from  calyx,  surrounded  with  three  fleshy 
scales. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe  seated  in  the  persistent  calyx,  glo- 
bose, red,  glabrous,  size  of  a  large  pea,  with  mealy  insipid  pulp 
and  containing  five  bony  nutlets.  They  remain  on  the  branches 
through  the  winter  and  serve  as  food  for  the  wild  birds.  July, 
August. 

This  low-growing  evergreen  that  trails  in  thick 
mats  over  the  inhospitable  ground  of  barren  uplands 
possesses  a  goodly  number  of  wild-wood  names. 
Very  few  plants  of  high  degree  can  claim  as  many  ; 
among  them  are  Foxberry,  Mealberry,  Bear's  Grape, 
Barren  Myrtle  and  Bilberry.  This  too  is  the  Kinni- 
kinic  of  the  *  western  Indians  who  smoke  the  leaves 
and  believe  the  practice  secures  them  from  malarial 
fevers.  A  curious  corruption  or  an  echo  of  uva-ursi 
exists  in  a  rural  name  for  the  plant  "universe." 

The  flowers  appear  in  May,  and  the  urn-shaped, 
flesh-colored,  rosy-mouthed  bells  are  succeeded  by 
astringent  red  berries,  mealy  and  flavorless  ;  but  which 
have  the  virtue  of  staying  on  the  bushes  all  winter  and 
no  doubt  comfort  and  sustain  many  a  hungry  bird  and 
possibly  an  errant  bear.  In  winter  the  shining  leaves 
darken  to  chocolate  above,  and  become  reddish  be- 
neath. The  plant  is  said  to  be  easily  cultivated  and 
will  thrive  in  almost  pure  sand, 

398 


HEATHER 


Heather,  Callnna  vulgaris. 


HEATH    FAMILY 

Mairania  alptna,  Alpine  or  Black  Bearberry,  is  an 
Alpine  species  closely  allied  to  ArctostapJiylos  uva-ursi. 
Its  leaves  are  deciduous,  its  flowers  white,  and  its 
drupes  black.  It  seeks  the  summits  of  the  higher 
mountains  of  New  England  and  crosses  the  continent 
from  Labrador  to  British  Columbia. 


LING.     HEATHER 

Calluna    vulgaris. 

Calluna,  Greek,  from  kalluno,  to  brush  or  sweep  ;  brooms 
being  made  of  it. 

Low  straggling  evergreen  forming  tufts  and  mats  ;  the  branches 
ascending  three  to  fifteen  inches.  Found  along  the  coast,  in 
sandy  and  rocky  soil,  from  Newfoundland  to  New  Jersey  ;  natu- 
ralized or  adventive  from  Europe. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  minute,  linear,  sessile,  about  one-sixteenth 
of  an  inch  long,  imbricated  in  four  rows,  usually  two-auricled  at 
the  base,  three-angled,  grooved  on  the  back. 

flowers. — July,  September.  Perfect,  bell-like,  lilac-pink  or 
white,  small,  borne  in  terminal  one-sided,  dense,  spike-like 
racemes. 

Calyx. — Sepals  four,  colored  like  the  petals,  oblong,  about  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  in  length,  concealing  the  corolla.  Four  bracts 
at  the  base. 

Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  pink  or  white,  four-parted,  slightly 
twisted,  persistent,  shorter  than  the  sepals. 

Stamens. — Eight,  filaments  short,  anthers  brown,  oblong,  at- 
tached to  the  filaments  by  their  backs,  opening  by  a  longitudinal 
slit,  each  sac  with  a  dorsal  reflexed  appendage. 

Pistil. — Ovary  depressed-globose,  eight-angled  ;  style  slender, 
exserted. 

Fruit. — Capsule,  four-sided,  four-celled,  four-valved,  few  seed- 
ed ;  seeds  ovoid. 

400 


LING 

Callnna  indgaris  is  believed  to  be  identical  with  the 
Scotch  Heather,  and  although  thoroughly  established 
through  the  British  maritime  provinces  and  the  coast 
regions  of  Maine  and  Massachusetts,  is  probably  of 
remote  European  introduction. 


CLETHRACE.E.— WHITE-ALDER  FAMILY 

WHITE-ALDER.  CLETHRA.     SWEET   PEPPERBUSH 

Ctithra  alnifblia. 

Clethra,  of  Greek  derivation,  meaning  alder,  in  reference 
to  the  resemblance  between  its  foliage  and  that  of  the 
alder. 

Late  flowering,  three  to  ten  feet  high,  frequently  cultivated. 
Found  in  masses,  growing  in  low  or  wet  places,  along  the 
banks  of  streams,  sometimes  in  swamps  where  the  roots  are  sub- 
merged in  early  spring  or  after  heavy  rains.  Ranges  from  Maine 
to  Florida,  mostly  near  the  coast. 

Stems. — Slender,  straight,  not  much  branched,  at  first  pale 
green  and  stellate-downy,  then  dull,  pale,  brownish  yellow ; 
finally  dark,  yellowish  brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three  and  a  half 
to  four  inches  long,  obovate,  narrowed  or  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
sharply  serrate  at  least  beyond  the  middle,  acute  or  obtuse  at 
apex.  Midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above,  prominent 
below.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  slightly  involute,  pale  green 
tipped  with  reddish  brown,  glabrous  and  shining  above,  densely 
hairy  beneath  ;  when  full  grown  are  deep  dark  green  above,  dull 
yellow  green  beneath.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  bright  clear  yel- 
lo'v.  Petioles  half  an  inch  long. 

Flowers. — August,  September.  Perfect,  white,  fragrant,  borne 
in  solitary  or  clustered  slender  racemes  four  to  six  inches  long, 
which  are  either  terminal  or  appear  in  the  axils  of  the  upper 
leaves.  Central  axis  and  pedicels  pubescent,  hairs  in  starry-like 
groups. 

402 


CLETHRA 


Clethra,  Cletbra  aini folia. 
Leaves  J^'  to  4'  long.    Racemes  4'  to  (/  long. 


WHITE-ALDER    FAMILY 

Calyx. — Five-lobed  ;  lobes  oblong,  obtuse,  nerved,  downy, 
imbricate  in  bud,  persistent. 

Corolla. — Petals  five,  slightly  united  at  the  base,  white,  obo- 
vate  or  oblong,  imbricate  in  bud. 

Stamens. — Ten  ;  filaments  white,  smooth,  slender  ;  anthers 
sagittate,  extrorse  in  bud  but  inverted  in  the  flower,  two-celled  ; 
cells  opening  by  pores  at  the  base. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  three-angled,  three-celled,  downy ; 
style  slender,  exserted,  three-cleft  at  apex  ;  ovules  numerous. 

Fruit. — Capsules,  crowded  in  stiff,  erect  racemes,  subglobose, 
three-lobed,  three-celled,  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter  ; 
each  sits  in  persistent  calyx,  crowned  with  persistent  style. 

Clethra  alnifolia,  naturally  a  swamp  plant,  takes  very 
kindly  to  cultivation  and  possesses  a  peculiar  value  in 
that  it  shows  its  long  spikes  of  fragrant  white  flowers 
late  in  summer  when  other  shrubs  are  largely  out  of 
bloom.  The  buds  are  arranged  upon  a  long  axis, 
and  they  begin  to  open  at  the  base,  consequently  the 
flowering  period  is  extended.  The  blossoms  have  a 
delightful  spicy  fragrance,  are  full  of  nectar  and  are 
eagerly  sought  by  the  bees. 

Two  peculiarities  of  the  Clethra  are  of  interest  to  a 
botanist.  One  is  the  character  of  the  hairs  found  upon 
the  stems  and  flowers  ;  under  a  common  magnifying 
glass  these  can  be  seen  to  be  arranged  in  very  perfect 
stars.  The  other  is  the  way  that  the  arrow-headed 
anthers  reverse  their  position  ;  in  the  bud  they  look 
out  from  the  centre  of  the  flower;  in  the  blossom  they 
look  in. 

The  bush  is  a  favorite  of  gardeners  because  it  will 
grow  in  poor  soil  and  in  shade ;  thus  possessing  a  gen- 
eral utility  value,  at  the  same  time  that  it  has  a  high 
personal  value. 

404 


LILAC 


Lilac,  Syringa  vulgaris. 


OLEACE^E— OLIVE  FAMILY 

THE  COMMON   LILAC 

Syringa  vulgaris. 

Syringa  from  sirinx,  the  native  name  in  Barbary.  Lilac 
is  from  lilag,  the  Persian  word  for  a  flower.  The  plant  was 
cultivated  in  England  in  1597. 

The  year  that  the  Lilac  was  brought  to  America  is 
in  doubt,  but  we  know  that  as  early  as  1652  it,  together 
with  the  Snowball,  was  the  modest  ornament  of  many 
a  cottage  yard.  When  the  tide  of  emigration  set  west- 
ward the  Lilac  was  the  first  flowering  plant  that 
bloomed  by  the  side  of  the  log  house  in  the  frontier 
settlement.  Brought  from  New  England  along  with 
the.  household  goods,  it  made  one  of  the  Penates  of 
the  new  home.  At  the  time  of  fullest  bloom  and 
greatest  fragrance,  women  and  children  came  to  the 
country  church  with  lilac-spray  in  hand,  and  the  fra- 
grance of  the  flower  mingled  with  the  sound  of  prayer 
and  of  sacred  song.  After  a  little  the  White  Lilac 
made  its  way  into  the  new  settlement,  a  welcome  addi- 
tion to  be  sure,  but  never  for  one  moment  a  rival  in 
the  hearts  of  the  people  of  the  flower  they  so  deeply 
loved.  As  the  frontier  line  moved  on  toward  the 
setting  sun,  the  Lilac  went  with  it  until  there  came  a 
day  when  it  reached  the  region  of  long,  hot,  dry 

406 


PERSIAN    LILAC 


Persian  Lilac,  Syringa  persica. 


OLIVE     FAMILY 

summers,  and  at  this  point  the  Lilac  faltered  in  its 
march.  For  this  is  a  native  of  the  highlands  ;  it  loves 
cool,  moist  summers,  and  although  centuries  of  culti- 
vation have  inured  it  to  many  changes,  it  has  not  yet 
learned  to  flourish  in  heat  and  drought.  Its  native 
land  is  somewhat  in  doubt,  but  it  is  accredited  in  the 
books  to  the  mountainous  region  of  central  Europe 
from  Piedmont  to  Hungary.  It  was  made  known  to 
European  botanists  by  a  plant  brought  from  Constan- 
tinople to  Vienna  to\vard  the  end  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  Extremely  showy,  of  easy  culture  and  per- 
fectly hardy,  the  shrub  spread  rapidly  throughout  the 
gardens  of  Europe.  In  the  survey  of  the  royal  gar- 
dens of  Nonsuch,  planted  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII., 
there  is  mentioned  a  fountain  "  set  round  with  six 
lilac  trees,  which  bear  no  fruit,  but  only  a  very 
pleasant  ,;mell." 

The  well  known  White  Lilac  is  but  a  variety  of  the 
Common  Lilac.  The  Persian  Lilac,  Syringa  persica, 
is  native  to  the  region  extending  from  Caucasus  to 
Afghanistan,  and  was  brought  into  Europe  in  1640. 
Its  flowers  are  rose-lilac,  deliciously  fragrant  and 
borne  in  open  thyrses.  This  appears  in  a  white  va- 
riety ;  also  in  one  with  cut  leaves,  Syringa  laciniata. 

A  third  species,  long  known,  is  Josika's  Lilac,  Syringa 
Josikcea,  so  named  in  honor  of  the  Baroness  Von  Jo- 
sika,  who  discovered  the  plant  in  Transylvania.  It  is 
an  upright  shrub  with  spreading  branches  and  purple 
twigs  ;  the  leaves  are  elliptic-lanceolate,  about  three 
inches  long,  bright  shining  green  above  and  whitish 
beneath.  The  flowers  are  bluish  purple. 

408 


PRIVET 


Privet,  Ligustrum  vulgare. 


OLIVE    FAMILY 

Since  the  discovery  of  the  affinity  that  exists  be- 
tween the  plants  of  northeastern  Asia  and  northeastern 
America  a  number  of  north  China,  Japanese  and  Man- 
churian  lilacs  have  been  brought  into  this  country. 
From  these  has  been  evolved  an  astonishing-  number 
of  varieties,  double-flowered  and  single-flowered,  in 
color  melting  from  deep  rose  to  blush  and  white,  or 
running  through  all  the  changes  of  a  lilac  which,  los- 
ing its  pink  by  successive  stages,  attains  at  last  a  cool 
pure  blue.  But  after  all  is  told,  notwithstanding  the 
doubles  and  the  singles,  "  my  heart  is  in  the  high- 
lands," and  there  is  no  Lilac  like  the  old  Lilac — which 
gave  its  name  to  the  color. 

The  French  gardeners  took  up  the  Lilac  upon  its 
first  appearance  in  Europe,  and  in  Paris  it  has  been  for 
a  hundred  years  a  favorite  forcing  plant. 

PRIVET.     PRIM 

Ligtistrtiin   vulgare. 

The  Privet  of  old  English  gardens,  a  native  of  both 
Europe  and  Asia,  has  been  very  generally  introduced 
into  this  country  as  a  hedge  plant.  The  plant,  how- 
ever, is  so  well  adapted  for  city  life  that  gardeners  are 
beginning  to  use  it  not  for  a  hedge  merely,  but  as  an 
ornamental  shrub.  Its  virtues  are  many, — it  bears  a 
smoky  atmosphere  with  composure  and  increases  in 
stature  ;  is  remarkably  free  from  insect  pests  and  from 
disease ;  the  foliage,  a  dark  handsome  green,  remains 
until  destroyed  by  the  storms  of  winter.  On  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie  it  is  fresh  and  bright  and 

410 


FORSYTHIA 


Forsytbt'a  sitspensa. 


OLIVE    FAMILY 

beautiful  well  into  December  ;  indeed,  it  is  the  last 
plant  to  succumb  to  winter  storms  ;  it  just  misses  being 
an  evergreen.  When  permitted,  it  will  develop  into  a 
shapely  bush  six  to  ten  feet  high. 

The  flower  cluster  is  a  thyrsus,  in  general  effect  a 
diminutive  copy  of  a  lilac  cluster ;  fragrant,  with  a 
rather  heavy  odor.  The  individual  blossom  is  in  shape 
very  like  a  small,  white,  lilac  blossom  ;  in  fact,  the 
family  characters  are  apparent  and  the  relationship 
somewhat  emphasized.  The  fruit  is  a  small  black 
berry.  Flowers  are  rarely  seen  in  hedge  rows  as  they 
appear  on  new  wood  and  that  is  usually  cut  away 
when  the  hedges  are  trimmed.  Several!  species  are  in 
cultivation. 

FORSYTHIA 

Forsythia. 

Since  the  Forsythia  was  introduced  into  this  country 
it  has  ever  been  counted  a  permanent  and  valuable 
addition  to  our  ornamental  shrubs.  Its  golden  bells 
gleam  in  the  April  sunlight  and  transform  the  brown 
bush  into  a  glowing  mass  of  color.  The  bloom  pre- 
cedes the  leaves,  but  before  its  splendor  has  passed  the 
leaves  are  half  grown. 

Three  forms  of  the  plant  appear  in  our  gardens.  One, 
Forsythia  viridissima,  a  stiff,  upright  little  bush  well 
covered  with  yellow  bells  in  the  spring  but  not  notice- 
able at  any  other  time.  This  is  the  form  first  intro- 
duced into  Europe,  and  first  brought  here.  The  second 
is  distinguished  by  the  long,  slender,  graceful  branches 
which  rise  and  curve  and  droop  and  sometimes  trail 

412 


FORSYTHIA 


Leaf  of  Forsytbia  viri- 
dissima. 


upon  the  ground.  This  appears  in  the  dealers'  cata- 
logues under  whatsoever  name  their  fancy  prompts, — 
Forsythia  snspensa,  Forsytliia  seiboldi, 
Forsythia  fortunci.  It  is  good  opinion 
that  Forsythia  snspensa  should  be  re- 
garded as  the  specific  form  and  For- 
sytJiia sciboldi  and  Forsytliia  fortunci 
varieties.  As  the  three  stand  side  by 
side  in  the  Arnold  Arboretum  the  dif- 
ference seems  to  be  mainly  a  matter  of 
foliage  ;  in  habit  they  are  very  much 
alike.  The  leaves  of  the  F.  suspensa 
group  are  both  simple  and  trifoliate; 
those  of  F.  viridissima  are  always  sim- 
ple. There  is  an  intermediate  form,— 
probably  a  hybrid,  which  carries  the 
leaf  of  F.  viridissima  slightly  modified  and  whose 
branches  have  somewhat  the  grace  of  F.  suspensa; 
this  is  known  as  ForsytJiia  intermedia.  A  third  form 
is  of  recent  introduction  ;  it  comes  from  Albania,  is 
named  ForsytJiia  europcea  and  is  distinguished  by  small, 
ovate-lanceolate,  quite  entire  leaves. 

As  the  flower  buds  are  formed  the 
summer  before,  in  order  to  get  the  best 
results  the  bushes  should  be  pruned 
some  little  time  after  the  flowering 
period.  Then  every  new  shoot  will 
be  laden  with  flower  buds  which  will 
give  an  excellent  account  of  them- 
selves the  following  April.  If  the 
plants  are  pruned  in  winter  the  flowering  spray  is 
very  largely  removed. 

413 


Simple  Leaf  of  For- 
tytbia  tuspensa. 


OLIVE    FAMILY 

Forsythia  was  introduced  from  China  about  the  end 
of  the  eighteenth  century  and  first  bloomed  in  Eng- 
land in  the  gardens  of  the  king  at  Kensington  ;  it  was 
named  in  honor  of  William  Forsyth,  director  of  the 
royal  gardens. 


414 


LAURACEyE— LAUREL   FAMILY 

SPICE-BUSH.    CAROLINA   ALLSPICE.    BENJAMIN-BUSH 
Benzoin  benzoin.     Lindera  benzoin. 

Named  for  John  Linder,  a  Swedish  botanist  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Benzoin  refers  to  its  aromatic  odor,  somewhat 
resembling  that  of  gum-benzoin. 

Tall,  well-shaped,  four  to  twelve  feet  high.  Found  in  damp 
woods  throughout  New  England,  westward  as  far  as  Michigan 
and  Kansas  and  southward.  Leaves,  fruit  and  bark  are  aromatic. 
Easily  cultivated. 

Bark. — Branchlets  at  first  bright  green,  smooth,  later  olive 
green,  sometimes  pearly  gray,  finally  grayish  brown.  Branches 
are  long,  tapering  and  brittle. 

Winter  buds. — Flower  and  leaf  buds  distinct.  Leaf  buds 
small,  one-eighth  of  an  inch  long,  acute,  solitary.  Flower  buds 
globose,  in  groups  of  two  to  five. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three  to  six  inches 
long,  one  and  one-half  to  three  wide,  oval,  oblong-oval,  or  obovate, 
wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire,  abruptly  acute,  sometimes  rounded 
at  apex  ;  midvein,  primary  and  secondary  veins  depressed  above, 
prominent  beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  revolute,  ciliate  at 
margin,  pale  green  ;  when  full  grown  are  dull  dark  green  above, 
pale  or  glaucous  green  below.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  clear 
bright  yellow.  Petiole  about  half  an  inch  long,  terete. 

Flowers.  —  March,  April;  before  the  leaves.  Polygamo- 
dioecious,  greenish  yellow,  small,  borne  in  almost  sessile  umbel- 
like  clusters  in  the  axils  of  last  year's  leaves.  Each  cluster  is 
made  up  of  secondary  clusters  of  four  to  six  flowers,  surrounded 
by  an  involucre  of  four  deciduous  scales. 


LAUREL    FAMILY 


Spice-bush,  Benzoin  benzoin,  in  flower. 


SPICE-BUSH 


Spice-bush,  Benzoin  ben;oin,  in  fruit. 

Leaves  3'  to  </  long.     Fruit   Ji'  long- 


LAUREL    FAMILY 

Calyx. — Six-parted,  yellow  ;  segments  oblong,  obtuse,  spread- 
ing, imbricate  in  bud. 

Corolla.  — Wanting. 

Stamens. — Staminate  flowers  with  nine  stamens  in  three  rows, 
the  inner  filaments  one  to  two-lobed  and  gland-bearing  at  base  ; 
anthers  two-celled,  opening  by  two  uplifted  valves.  The  pistil- 
late flowers  with  fifteen  to  eighteen  rudiments  of  stamens  in  two 
forms,  and  a  globular  ovary,  with  short  thick  style. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  oblong,  or  obovoid,  scarlet,  shining,  half  an 
inch  long,  borne  singly  or  in  clusters  of  two  to  five.  Flesh  thin, 
yellow,  aromatic  ;  seed  large,  oblong. 

The  Spice-bush  begins  and  ends  its  sylvan  year  in 
yellow.  The  pale  blossoms  fairly  cover  the  branches 
in  April,  coming  forth  in  company  with  the  first  maples 
and  early  elms.  The  late  October  finds  it  a  glow  of 
sunshine  from  the  yellow  of  its  changing  leaves. 

The  shrub  is  erect  and  trim  and  so  easily  cultivated 
that  it  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  yard  or  lawn  ;  it  is  also 
excellent  for  roadside  planting.  The  leaves  are  large 
and  beautiful  and  the  plant  is  thickly  clothed  with  them 
when  it  grows  in  a  damp,  shaded  location.  But  where 
it  produces  most  foliage  it  bears  the  least  fruit ;  like 
many  other  plants  it  develops  the  one  at  the  expense 
of  the  other.  The  bush  is  aromatic  in  bark,  fruit,  and 
leaf,  and  possessed  some  reputation  in  times  past  for 
medicinal  qualities. 

There  is  a  notable  difference  in  the  yellow  color  of 
the  flowers  on  different  bushes.  Ordinarily,  stamens 
and  pistils  are  produced  in  separate  flowers  and  these 
flowers  are  usually  found  on  different  plants.  The 
staminate  flowers  have  not  only  the  yellow  calyx  but 
the  yellow  anthers  as  well — this  brightens  them  to  a 
marked  degree;  the  pistillate  flowers  are  duller. 


THYMELEACE^E— MEZEREUM   FAMILY 

LEATHERWOOD.     MOOSEWOOD 
Dirca  pahistris. 

Dirca  is  the  name  of  a  fountain  of  ancient  Thebes.     Leath- 
erwood  refers  to  the  tough,  fibrous  bark. 

Much  branched,  two  to  six  feet  high,  found  mostly  in  wet, 
shady  places.  Ranges  from  New  Brunswick  to  Virginia  and 
westward  to  Minnesota  and  Missouri.  Juices  acrid,  producing 
nausea. 

Stem. — Twigs  yellowish  green,  smooth  ;  bark  of  mature  stems 
golden  brown;  inner  bark  tough,  fibrous,  and  of  great  strength. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  two  to  three  inches  long,  one  and 
one-half  wide,  oval  or  obovate,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  entire, 
obtuse  at  apex  ;  midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above, 
prominent  beneath.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  involute,  pale 
yellow  green,  downy,  when  full  grown  are  pale  yellow  and 
smooth.  In  autumn  they  turn  a  clear  yellow.  Petioles  short ; 
the  bases  conceal  the  buds  of  the  next  season. 

Flowers. — April,  before  the  leaves.  Perfect,  light  yellow, 
borne  three  or  four  in  a  cluster,  from  a  bud  of  three  or  four  dark 
hairy  scales,  which  form  an  involucre,  from  which  soon  after  pro- 
ceeds a  leafy  branch. 

Calyx. — Corolla  like,  tubular,  funnel-shaped,  truncate,  the 
border  wavy  or  obscurely  four-toothed. 

Corolla. — Wanti  ng. 

Stamens. — Eight,  in  two  rows,  inserted  on  the  calyx-tul>e, 
above  the  middle,  exserted,  the  alternate  ones  longer  ;  filaments 
very  slender ;  anthers  large,  ovoid. 

419 


MEZEREUM    FAMILY 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  one-celled,  one-ovuled  ;  style  thread- 
like, exserted  ;  stigma  capitate. 

Fruit. — Drupe,  reddish,  oblong-oval,  pointed  at  both  ends, 
containing  one  large,  shining,  brown  seed. 

A  marked  peculiarity  of  Dirca  palustris  is  the  char- 
acter of  its  thick  porous  bark.  This  is  soft  and  pliant 
and  to  outward  appearance  innocent  enough,  yet  its 
tenacity  and  toughness  are  astonishing.  If  one  wishes 
to  know  exactly  how  this  bark  behaves  he  has  only  to 
break  a  stem  from  the  bush  and  attempt  to  go  away 
with  it.  The  wood  is  easily  broken,  it  offers  no  great 
resistance  ;  it  is  in  managing  the  bark  that  madness 
lies.  For  that  bark  will  neither  yield  nor  give ;  it  is 
soft,  you  can  indent  it ;  it  is  pliant,  will  move  as  you 
wish  ;  but  it  simply  will  not  part.  Its  fibres  are  a 
wonderful  example  of  a  natural  string,  and  the  Indians 
who  used  it  for  bow  strings  and  fish  lines  and  in  the 
manufacture  of  baskets  well  understood  its  properties. 

Dirca  blooms  early  and  the  fruit  matures  quickTy, 
but  is  so  hidden  among  the  leaves  and  falls  so  soon 
that  it  easily  escapes  notice.  The  books  call  it  a 
drupe,  but  that  seems  a  courtesy  title  only,  for  the 
flesh  is  exceedingly  thin  and  very  leathery. 

The  petioles  are  swollen  at  the  base  sufficiently  to 
conceal  and  protect  the  brown  velvety  buds  of  next 
year's  leaves.  There  is  no  terminal  bud,  the  stem 
ends  in  a  point;  the  bud  which  will  continue  next 
year's  growth  is  axillary.  What  decorative  value  the 
plant  has  lies  chiefly  in  the  yellow  green  of  its  foliage, 
which  might  be  used  advantageously  to  brighten  a 
dark  place. 


420 


LEATHERWOOD 


Leather  wood,  Dirca  paliistris 

Leaves  2'  to  3'  long. 


MEZEREUM    FAMILY 

DAPHNE.     SPURGE    LAUREL.     MEZERON 
Ddphne  me  sire  um. 

Daphne,  the  name  of  the  nymph  transformed  by  Apollo 
into  a  laurel. 

Low,  hardy,  one  to  four  feet  high  ;  a  native  of  Europe  and 
Asia  which  has  escaped  from  cultivation  and  is  now  found  spar- 
ingly in  Massachusetts  and  New  York,  also  in  Canada. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  thin,  three  to  five  inches  long, 
oblong-lanceolate  or  oblanceolate,  narrowed  at  base,  entire,  acute 
at  apex,  smooth,  bright  green.  Petioles  very  short. 

Flowers. — April,  before  the  leaves.  Perfect,  rose-purple, 
rarely  white,  very  fragrant,  borne  in  sessile  clusters  of  two  to 
five,  on  the  shoots  of  the  preceding  year. 

Calyx. — Salver-shaped  ;  tube  about  half  an  inch  long,  downy  ; 
lobes  four,  spreading,  about  as  long  as  the  tube. 

Stamens. — Eight,  in  two  rows,  included,  inserted  on  the  calyx- 
tube  ;  filaments  very  short. 

Pistil. — Ovary  superior,  one-celled  ;  style  short ;  stigma  large, 
capitate. 

Fruit. — An  oblong-oval  red  drupe,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

Daphne  inczcrcnin  is  widely  distributed,  common 
over  nearly  the  whole  of  Europe  and  northern  Asia 
and  found  in  the  Arctic  regions.  For  cen- 
turies it  has  been  a  favorite  garden  plant. 
in  Europe,  but  in  this  country  is  too  rarely 
seen.  It  is  of  erect  habit,  one  to  three  feet 
high,  with  rigid  branches;  in  summer  each 
is  crowned  with  a  tuft  of  narrow  deciduous 
leaves. 

The  flowers  appear  before  the  leaves,  in 
numerous  clusters  of  two  or  three,  along 
in nower.     the   wood   of  the  preceding  year,  and  are 

422 


MEZERON 


MEZEREUM   FAMILY 

succeeded  by  large,  red,  handsome  berries.  This  is 
a  very  attractive  little  shrub,  which  thrives  in  any 
good  garden  soil.  A  variety  with  white  flowers  is 
known  and  there  is  another  which  blooms  in  the 
autumn. 

The  bark  has  medicinal  properties,  and  is  now 
used  as  one  of  the  ingredients  in  the  compound  of 
Sarsaparilla, 

DAPHNE 

Daphne  cnebrum. 

Daplme  cneorum  is  one  of  the  sweetest  plants  that 
grows.  Its  native  home  is  the  calcareous  soil  of  the 
southern  Alps;  it  is  also  found  in  Hungary  and  Tran- 
sylvania. In  those  rocky  highlands  it  seems  to  have 
touched  the  feelings  and  stirred  the  fancy  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  is  there  known  as  the  Pearl  of  the  Moun- 
tains. 

The  sweet-scented  pink  blossoms  are  borne  in  close 
terminal  clusters  on  each  of  the  many  branches.  In 
outward  appearance  an  individual  flower  looks  not  un- 
like an  individual  lilac  blossom.  The  apparent  corolla 
is  a  long  tube  with  a  spreading  four-lobed  border, 
and  is  about  the  size  of  a  lilac  corolla.  As  there  is 
but  one  of  the  floral  envelopes,  the  perianth  must  be 
called  a  caly x.  Under  favorable  conditions  these  blos- 
soms are  produced  from  early  spring  until  late  au- 
tumn. 

The  leaves  are  olive  green,  persistent,  alternate, 
somewhat  crowded  on  the  stem,  about  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  long.  The  roots  are  fine  and  threadlike 
and  spread  vigorously  in  a  rich  sandy  soil. 

424 


DAPHNE 


Daphne,  Dapbtu  cneorum. 

Leaves  %'  to  i'  long. 


MEZEREUM    FAMILY 

Like  so  many  evergreens  removed  from  their  pro- 
tecting forests  it  sunburns  in  our  winters;  yet  will 
not  endure  thick  covering.  Gardeners  recommend  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  straw  over  it  which  will  give  pro- 
tection from  the  sun,  and  yet  allow  the  air  to  circulate 
freely. 


426 


EL /EAGNACEvE— OLEASTER   FAMILY 

SILVER    BERRY.    EL^EAGNUS 
Eladgnus  argtntea. 

Elceagmts,  sacred  olive  ;  the  Greek  name  of  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent plant.  Oleaster  is  a  Latin  word,  which  is  interpreted 
wild  olive  tree  ;  derivation  doubtful. 

Silvery-scaly,  much-branched,  six  to  twelve  feet  high.  Ranges 
from  Minnesota  to  South  Dakota,  Utah,  and  Montana.  Stolonif- 
erous. 

Stems. — Young  twigs  covered  with  brown  scurf,  which  finally 
becomes  silvery. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  one  to  four  inches  long,  elliptic  to 
lanceolate,  wedge-shaped  at  base,  undulate  or  entire,  acute  or 
obtuse  at  apex,  densely  silvery  on  both  sides.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  July.  Perfect,  numerous,  borne  solitary,  or 
in  clusters  of  two  or  three,  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves;  silvery 
without,  pale  yellow  within,  fragrant. 

Calyx. — Tube  bell-shaped  ;  border  four-lobed,  silvery  without, 
pale  yellow  within  ;  lobes  ovate,  valvate. 

Corolla. — Wan  ti  ng. 

Stamens. — Four,  borne  at  the  throat  of  the  calyx-tube ;  fila- 
ments short. 

Pistil. — Ovary  one- celled  ;  style  linear,  long. 

Fruit. — Drupe-like,  ovoid,  silvery,  dry  and  mealy,  edible. 

The  Silver  Berry  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  woody 
plants  with  light  colored  foliage.  Its  range  is  north- 
ern, consequently  it  is  rather  difficult  to  cultivate, 

427 


OLEASTER    FAMILY 

since  subarctic  plants  seem  less  tolerant  of  heat,  than 
plants  of  more  temperate  range  are  of  cold.  The 
flowers  are  whitish  without  and  yellow  within,  not 
very  beautiful  but  delightfully  fragrant.  The  chief 
attraction  of  the  bush  is  its  silvery  foliage,  whose 
metallic  lustre  is  due  to  an  immense  number  of  tiny 
white  hairs  arranged  in  starry  groups,  and  so  com- 
pactly placed  that  they  look  like  a  covering  of  silver. 

Of  cultivated  species  the  Garden  Elasagnus  or  Wild 
Olive  Tree,  Elceagnus  angustifolia,  a  native  of  south- 
eastern Europe  and  western  Asia,  is  one  of  the  best. 
This  is  believed  to  be  the  veritable  wild  olive  of  the 
classic  authors.  It  is  often  called  the  Jerusalem  Wil- 
low ;  not  without  reason,  for  it  certainly  looks  very 
like  a  willow.  The  Portuguese  call  it  the  Tree  of 
Paradise,  basing  their  admiration  largely  upon  the 
rare  fragrance  of  the  flowers.  These  are  silvery  with- 
out and  yellow  within,  borne  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves, 
two  or  three  together.  The  silvery  whiteness  of  the 
foliage  renders  the  plant  conspicuous  wherever  it  may 
be.  The  reddish  oblong  fruit,  which  somewhat  re- 
sembles a  date,  is  said  to  be  common  in  the  markets 
of  the  Levant.  In  its  native  land  the  plant  is  a  tree ; 
here  it  is  both  tree  and  shrub. 

The  Long-stemmed  Elasagnus,  Elaagnus  longipcs,  has 
recently  been  introduced  into  this  country  from  Japan, 
and  is  highly  recommended  by  gardeners.  Another 
excellent  species  for  cultivation  is  Elceagnus  mnbcllata, 
which  in  foliage  closely  resembles  Elceagmis  longipes, 
The  specific  difference  is  found  in  the  fruit.  The 
leaves  of  both  species  are  a  beautiful  dark  green  above 
and  silvery  white  beneath.  There  are  many  other  in- 

428 


SILVER    BERRY 


Silver  Berry,  Elceagnus  argmtea. 
Leaves  yt'  to  »'  long. 


OLEASTER   FAMILY 

troduced  species  under  observation  in  nurseries  and 
experiment  stations  \vh;ch  will  no  doubt  in  time  give 
an  excellent  account  of  themselves. 

BUFFALO-BERRY.     RABBIT-BERRY 

Lepargyrcea  argdntea.     Shephdrdia  argentea. 

Lepargyrcea,  of  Greek  derivation,  silvery-scaly.  Shepher~ 
dia  in  honor  of  John  Shepherd,  once  curator  of  the  Liver- 
pool Botanic  Garden. 

Slender,  growing  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  high,  peculiar  for  the 
silvery  pubescence  which  covers  stem  and  leaves.  Branches  are 
covered  with  gray  bark,  twigs  silvery  white,  often  terminating 
in  thorns.  Ranges  from  Minnesota  to  Kansas  and  Nevada, 
northward  to  Manitoba. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  oblong  or  oblong-lanceolate,  one  to  two 
and  a  half  inches  long,  about  half  an  inch  wide,  somewhat  pointed 
at  base,  margin  entire,  obtuse  at  apex,  silvery-stellate-pubescent 
above  and  below.  Petioles  about  five-eighths  of  an  inch  long. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Small,  yellow,  dioecious,  fascicled  at 
the  axils  of  the  leaves  of  the  preceding  season.  Staminate  flow- 
ers with  a  four-parted  perianth  and  eight  stamens;  filaments 
short.  Pistillate  flowers  with  a  four-lobed  perianth,  bearing  an 
eight-lobed  disk  at  its  mouth  which  nearly  closes  it;  style  some- 
what exserted. 

Fruit. — Drupe-like,  oval  or  ovoid,  scarlet,  sour,  about  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  long,  edible. 

The  Buffalo-berry  is  an  interesting  plant,  whose 
native  home  is  the  far  west,  but  which  takes  very 
kindly  to  eastern  cultivation,  A  marked  characteristic 
is  the  peculiar  metallic  lustre  of  its  leaves,  which  is 
produced  by  a  starry  white  pubescence  that  so  covers 
their  surfaces  as  to  make  them  look  as  if  sheathed  with 
silver.  This  pubescence  is  sometimes  brown,  but  usu- 
ally white,  and  is  not  confined  to  the  leaves  alone,  but 

430 


GARDEN   EL^EAGNUS 


Garden  Elseagnus,  Elacagnus  angustifolia. 


OLEASTER   FAMILY 

covers  pedicels,  petioles  and  twigs  as  well.  This  gives 
the  bush  a  very  decorative  effect,  clothed  as  it  is  in 
grayish  white,  among  the  surrounding  green. 

The  flowers  appear  during  April  and  May  in  small, 
compact  clusters  at  the  axils  of  last  year's  leaves.  They 
are  not  especially  beautiful,  but  by  their  numbers  they 
make  the  plant  attractive  at  the  flowering  season. 
The  fruit  is  scarlet  or  crimson,  the  size  of  currants, 
and  often  so  abundant  as  to  redden  the  entire  bush ;  in 
flavor  an  agreeable  acid,  just  a  trifle  astringent. 

The  difficulty  in  cultivating  the  plant  for  its  fruit 
lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  dioecious  ;  both  pistillate  and 
Stain inate  bushes  are  essential  to  success. 

CANADIAN    BUFFALO-BERRY 
Lepargyr&a  canadensis.     SkepMrdia   canadensis. 

A  thornless  shrub,  three  to  eight  feet  high  ;  the  young  shoots 
brown  scurfy,  later  becoming  white  ;  found  on  gravelly  banks 
and  sterile  soils  where  little  else  will  thrive.  Ranges  from  New- 
foundland to  Alaska,  southward  to  Maine,  New  York,  Michigan 
and  Utah.  Hardy  in  its  native  wilds  under  .very  adverse  condi- 
tions ;  but  difficult  to  transplant. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  ovate  or  oval,  one  to  two  inches  long, 
pointed  at  base,  margin  entire,  obtuse  at  apex.  Somewhat  sil- 
very-stellate-pubescent above,  densely  so  beneath  ;  often  much 
of  this  pubescence  is  brown.  Petioles  short,  also  stellate-pu- 
bescent. 

Flowers. — April,  June.  Small,  dioecious,  yellowish,  borne  in 
clusters  at  the  axils  of  last  year's  leaves.  Staminate  'flowers  with 
a  four-parted  perianth  and  eight  stamens.  Pistillate  flowers 
with  a  four-lobed  perianth,  bearing  an  eight-lobed  disk  at  its 
mouth  which  nearly  closes  it ;  style  somewhat  exserted. 

Fruit. — Drupe-like,  oval,  red  or  yellowish,  about  a  quarter  ol 
an  inch  long,  the  flesh  insipid.  July,  August. 

432 


BUFFALO-BERRY 


Buffalo-berry,  Lepargyra-a  argeittea 

Leaves  t'  to  2%'  long. 


LORANTHACE^E— MISTLETOE  FAMILY 

AMERICAN   MISTLETOE 

Phoradendron  flavescens. 
Phoradendron,  tree-thief,  because  of  its  parasitic  habit. 

A  many-jointed,  much  branching,  yellowish  green  shrub,  six 
to  twelve  inches  high,  parasitic  on  the  branches  of  deciduous 
leaved  trees ;  notably  the  tupelo  and  the  maples.  Of  southern 
range,  yet  appears  in  the  southern  counties  of  New  Jersey,  Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  as  well  as  throughout  the 
south. 

Leaves. — Opposite,  obscurely  three-nerved,  three- fourths  to 
one  and  a  half  inches  long,  oval,  oblong  or  obovate,  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  obtuse  at  apex,  thick,  yellow  green  above  and 
beneath.  Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — May,  July.  Dioecious,  in  short  catkin -like  jointed 
spikes,  usually  several  to  each  short  fleshy  bract  or  scale,  and 
sunk  in  the  joint.  Calyx  globular,  three-lobed  ;  in  the  stami- 
nate  flowers  a  sessile  anther  is  borne  on  the  base  of  each  lobe, 
transversely  two-celled  ;  each  cell  opening  by  a  pore  or  slit ;  in 
the  pistillate  flowers  the  calyx-tube  adheres  to  the  ovary;  stigma 
sessile.  Berry  globose,  white,  fleshy. 

Our  American  Mistletoe  is  not  the  same  species  as 
the  European  Mistletoe,  though  greatly  resembling  it. 
Its  range  is  southern,  yet  it  appears  sparingly  within 
our  northern  lines. 

The  name  Tree-thief  is  well  deserved,  for  the  plant 

434 


MISTLETOE 


Cross-section  of  a  Branch  of  a  Maple  Tree  upon  which  a  Mistletoe  was 
established;  life  size. 

At  this  point  the  diameter  of  the  branch  is  doubled.     The  lighter  parts  of  the  wood  are 
Mistletoe,  and  the  branchlets  are  all  Mistletoe. 


MISTLETOE    FAMILY 


lives  upon  juices  that  it  has  not  elaborated  and  is  sup- 
ported by  root  and  trunk  that  are  not  its  own.  When 
a  Mistletoe  is  fairly  established  upon  a  branch  it  eats 
into  the  very  structure  of  the  wood  ;  the  branch  is 


Fruiting  Spray  of  American  Mistletoe. 


enlarged  at  the  point  of  contact — often  its  diameter  is 
doubled.  Our  plant  has  fallen  heir  to  the  sentiment 
and  the  folk-lore  of  Europe,  and  figures  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  in  our  Christinas  decorations. 


436 


MYRICACE/E—  BAYBERRY   FAMILY 

SWEET  GALE.     DUTCH  MYRTLE 

gale. 


Myrica,  of  Greek  derivation,  but  of  obscure  application  to 

this  plant. 
*«  <" 

Erect,  three  to  five  feet  high,  and  forming  tangled  patches; 
growing  in  places  which  are  inundated  through  a  part  of  the 
year.  Ranges  from  Labrador  and  Newfoundland  through  New 
England  and  the  Middle  States  as  far  south  as  Virginia  and 
along  the  Great  Lakes  to  Minnesota.  Roots  long,  matted. 

Stems.  —  Branches  and  upper  part  a  rich  dark  purple,  polished 
and  shining.  On  old  and  lower  stems  the  outer  bark  cracks  and 
rolls  horizontally,  becoming  rough,  and  in  color  pale. 

Winter  buds.  —  Leaf  buds  minute.  Staminate  aments  in  the 
axils  of  the  upper  leaves  in  short,  ovoid,  pointed  buds. 

Leaves.  —  Alternate,  simple,  one  and  one-half  to  two  aru.1  one- 
half  inches  long,  oblanceolate,  wedge-sha|>ed  at  base,  partly 
entire  but  serrate  toward  the  apex,  which  is  a  little  pointed. 
They  come  out  of  the  bud  revolute,  pale  green,  slightly  hairy, 
dotted  with  pale  amber  resinous  dots  above  and  below;  when  full 
grown  are  a  dull  dark  green,  glabrous  above,  downy  on  the  veins 
below  and  sprinkled  with  minute,  yellow,  resinous  dots  above  and 
below.  Fragrant. 

flowers.  —  April.  Mostly  dicecious,  individual  flowers  solitary 
under  a  scale-like  bract.  Staminate  flowers  borne  in  catkins  an 
inch  or  more  long,  terminal  ;  scales  on  short  stalks,  covered  with 
resinous  dots.  Stamens  three  or  four;  anthers  large,  oj>ening 
with  four  valves.  Pistillate  catkins  are  ovoid  ;  scales  triangular; 
stigmas  two-lobed,  purple,  threadlike. 

437 


BAYBERRY  FAMILY 


Sweet  Gale,  Myrica  gale,  in  fruit. 


SWEET   GALE 


Sweet  Gale,  Myrica  gale,  in  flower. 


BAYBERRY  FAMILY 

Fruit. — Nuts  in  imbricated  heads;  each  nut  two-winged  by 
means  of  two  fleshy  ovate  scales  which  are  attached  at  the  base. 

Although  a  denizen  of  cold  northern  swamps,  the 
Sweet  Gale  is  wonderfully  tolerant  of  changed  con- 
ditions, and  will  grow  on  a  dry,  gravelly,  exposed 
ridge.  Like  the  Bayberry,  the  leaves  are  densely  cov- 
ered with  small  resinous  dots  which  are  the  source  of 
their  fragrance. 

BAYBERRY.    WAXBERRY 

Myrica  carolintnsis.     Merica   cert/era. 
Myrica,  the  ancient  name  of  an  unknown  shrub. 

Stiff,  crooked,  growing  in  miniature  thickets  ;  found  in  every 
variety  of  situation  and  soil  ;  from  dry,  rocky  hills  to  sandy 
plains,  from  the  border  of  marshes  to  the  edge  of  the  sea-shore  ; 
varies  from  three  to  eight  feet  in  height.  Ranges  near  the  coasi 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida  and  Alabama ;  sparingly  found  on 
the  borders  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

Bark. — Brownish  gray,  dark  and  pale  irregularly  mixed ; 
young  stems  golden  brown,  somewhat  hairy  and  covered  with 
resinous  dots.  Leaf  buds  minute,  globular,  reddish  brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  or  irregularly  scattered  or  tufted,  simple, 
two  to  three  and  one-half  inches  long,  obovate  or  oblong,  nar- 
rowed at  the  base,  entire,  or  with  three  or  four  serrate  teeth  near 
the  apex  which  bears  a  tiny  point  at  the  end.  They  come  out 
of  the  bud  revolute,  pale  green  tinged  with  red,  shining,  covered 
with  white  woolly  hairs,  thickly  covered  with  pale  amber  resi- 
nous dots ;  appear  rather  late  ;  when  full  grown  are  leathery, 
shining,  bright  green,  resinous,  dotted  on  both  sides,  fragrant. 
In  autumn  they  darken  to  a  bronze  purple  or  fall  with  little 
change  of  color. 

Flowers. — May.  Dioecious,  individual  flowers  without  calyx 
or  corolla,  solitary  on  a  scale-like  bract.  Staminate  flowers  ex- 
pand with  the  leaves,  borne  in  stiff,  erect  catkins  less  than  an 
inch  long,  on  last  year's  wood  ;  scales  roundish,  loose ;  stamens 

440 


BAYBER^Y 


Bayberry,  Myrica  carolitunsis. 

Leaves  a'  to  )&'  long. 


BAYBERRY  FAMILY 

three  to  four  ;  anthers  divided.     Pistillate  catkins  small,  erect ; 
scales  oval,  pointed  ;  ovary  bearing  two  awl-shaped  stigmas, 

Fruit. — Dry,  waxy  berries  or  drupes,  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  borne  in  clusters  of  four  to  nine,  on  short  stalks.  At 
first  green,  then  blackish,  finally  pale  gray,  almost  whi'te,  con- 
sisting of  a  stone  coated  with  dry  wax  which  has  a  slightly  aro- 
matic taste.  They  persist  for  two  or  three  years. 

At  the  mouths  of  their  rivers,  and  all  along  upon  the  sea,  and  near 
many  of  their  creeks  and  swamps,  the  myrtle  grows,  bearing  a  berry  of 
which  they  make  a  hard,  brittle  wax  of  a  curious  green  color,  which  by  re- 
fining becomes  almost  transparent.  Of  this  they  make  candles,  which  are 
never  greasy  to  the  touch  and  do  not  melt  with  lying  in  the  hottest  weather  ; 
neither  does  the  snuff  of  these  ever  offend  the  sense  like  that  of  a  tallow 
candle,  but  instead  of  being  disagreeable  if  an  accident  puts  the  candle  out, 
it  yields  a  pleasant  fragrance  to  all  who  are  in  the  room,  insomuch  that  nice 
people  often  put  them  out  on  purpose  to  have  the  incense  of  the  expiring 
snuff. 

— ROBERT  BEVERLY  in  "  History  of  Virginia." 

This  little  shrub  when  planted  along  the  shore  withstands  the  ocean 
winds  and  storms  perhaps  better  than  any  other  plant  known  in  cultivation, 
and  can  be  made  to  do  good  service  in  establishing  plantations  by  the  sea 
side.  It  is  now  coming  largely  into  use  for  that  purpose,  as  it  affords 
protection  to  more  attractive  specimens  which  may  be  planted  to  leeward. 
Beginning  with  a  hedge  of  these  Myricas,  plantations  may  often  be  estab- 
lished where  without  something  of  this  nature  the  task  would  be  hopeless. 
Almost  any  bleak  and  barren  exposure  can  be  covered  in  this  way  and  be- 
come comparatively  beautiful. 

— Lucius  D.   DAVIS  in  "  Ornamental  Shrubs." 

The  fruit,  leaves,  and  recent  shoots  of  the  Bayberry 
are  fragrant  with  a  balsamic  odor  which  comes  from 
the  minute,  transparent,  resinous  dots  with  which  the 
recent  shoots  and  under  surface  of  the  leaves  are  pro- 
fusely covered. 

Bayberry  wax  is  obtained  by  boiling  the  berries  in 
water.  The  .wax  dissolves,  rises  to  the  surface  and 
hardens  on  cooling ;  it  is  estimated  that  about  one- 
third  of  the  weight  of  the  berries  consists  of  wax.  In 

442 


SWEET   FERN 

the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  this  country  this 
wax  had  a  commercial  value. 

In  the  renaming  of  plants  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  American  Association  of  Science,  the  Bayberry 
has  lost  its  specific  name  of  cerifera  and  gained  that  of 
carolinensis ;  cerifera  is  now  given  to  a  southern  tree, 
the  Wax  Myrtle. 

SWEET   FERN 
Comptbnia    peregrlna.     Myrica   asplenifblia. 

Comptonia,   in  honor  of  Rev.  Henry  Compton,  bishop  of 
Oxford. 

Fragrant,  round-headed,  about  two  feet  high,  growing  on 
hillsides  and  in  the  openings  of  woods.  Ranges  from  New 
Brunswick  to  the  Saskatchewan,  occurs  abundantly  throughout 
New  England  and  the  Middle  States  and  on  the  Appalachian 
range.  Roots  long,  creeping  ;  suckers  freely. 

Bark. — Young  stems  green  or  yellowish  or  reddish  brown  and 
sprinkled  with  tiny  resinous  dots;  the  older  stems  yellowish 
brown  with  shining  surface,  somewhat  hairy  ;  oldest  are  reddish 
purple  or  coppery  brown. 

Winter  buds. — Leaf  buds  minute,  globular,  hairy.  Pistillate 
aments  crowded  at  the  summit  of  the  stems,  stiff,  erect,  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  long,  cylindrical,  pale  brown,  hairy. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  fragrant,  three  to  six  inches  long, 
less  than  an  inch  wide,  pointed,  cut  into  obtuse  or  pointed  lobes 
by  sinuses  reaching  to  the  midrib,  margin  of  these  lol>es  entire, 
somewhat  reflexed.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  conduplicate, 
j>ale  green  ;  when  full  grown  they  are  dark  lustrous  green  ;  mid- 
rib depressed  above,  prominently  ridged  and  pubescent  beneath, 
secondary  veins  small  but  also  ridged.  Petioles  short ;  stipules 
half  an  inch  long,  auriculate  or  half  heart-shai>ed,  often  with 
a  pair  of  smaller  stipules  below.  Leaves,  petioles  and  stipules 
densely  sprinkled  with  minute,  yellow  shining  resinous  dots. 

443 


BAYBERRY   FAMILY 

flowers. — April,  May.  Dioecious,  often  monoecious;  the  in- 
dividual flower  without  calyx  or  corolla,  solitary  under  a  scale- 
like  bract.  Staminate  catkins  one-half  an  inch  long,  borne  at  the 
end  of  the  branch.  Scales  kidney  or  heart-shaped  with  long 
point.  Pistillate  catkins  globular,  and  bur-like.  Ovary  one- 
celled,  surrounded  by  eight  long  awl-shaped  persistent  scales. 
Stamens  two  to  eight;  filaments  somewhat  united  below  ;  an- 
thers two-celled. 

Fruit. — Nut,  ovoid-oblong,  smooth,  shining,  surrounded  by 
bristly  scales.  September. 

This  is  a  plant  that  looks  like  a  fern  and  grows  like 
a  bush  ;  fragrant  even  when  flowerless.  An  inhabitant 
of  the  north,  it  goes  south  by  way  of  the  mountain 
tops.  The  pleasant  spicy  fragrance  which  it  diffuses 
is  due  to  the  vast  number  of  minute  grains  of  resin 
which  are  profusely  sprinkled  over  leaf  and  stem. 

The  long  slender  pinnatifid  leaf  certainly  suggests  a 
fern  ;  so  that  the  common  name  seems  significant  and 
appropriate.  The  foliage  is  very  attractive  ;  the  plant 
thrives  in  sterile  soils,  flourishes  at  the  seaside,  and 
is  certainly  worth y  of  cultivation. 


444 


SWEET    FERN 


Sweet  Fern,  Conifitonta  peregrina 
Leaves  3'  to  </  long. 


FAG  ACEvE— BEECH   FAMILY 

CHINQUAPIN 

Castanea  pumila. 

From  Castanea,  a  town  in  Thessaly,  or  from  another  town 
of  that  name  in  Pontus  ;  the  ancient  name  of  the  genus. 

A  shrub,  rarely  a  tree,  growing  in  dry  soil.  Ranges  from  New 
Jersey  to  Florida,  from  Pennsylvania  to  Texas. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  veins  very  prom- 
inent beneath,  three  to  six  inches  long,  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
sharply  serrate,  acute  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  pale 
green,  shining  and  woolly;  when  full  grown  are  dark  green  and 
smooth  above,  densely  white  tomentose  beneath.  In  autumn 
they  turn  a  bright,  clear  yellow.  Petioles  short,  stout,  slightly 
angled.  Stipules  fugitive. 

Flowers. — June,  July  :  monoecious,  fragrant.  Staminate 
catkins  erect  or  somewhat  spreading,  three  to  five  inches  long, 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Pistillate  flowers  are 
borne  in  prickly  involucres  at  the  base  of  the  staminate  catkins. 

Fruit. — Nut  small,  ovoid,  brown,  enclosed  in  a  prickly  pointed 
bur.  Kernel  sweet. 

The  Chinquapin  is  a  bush  that  in  its  best  estate  is 
twelve  feet  high,  although  it  fruits  at  three.  The  leaves 
are  of  the  chestnut  type,  sometimes  six  inches  long, 
and  underneath  are  densely  covered  with  cream-white 
woolly  hairs. 

The  burs  are  small,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  some- 

446 


CHINQUAPIN 


Chinquapin,  Castaiu-j  pttmila. 

Leaves  3'  to  </  long. 


BEECH    FAMILY 

times  less  ;  the  size  varying  with  the  number  of  en- 
closed nuts,  which  frequently  are  two,  though  normally 
one.  In  fruiting  this  chestnut  apparently  makes  up  in 
number  what  it  lacks  in  size  ;  it  is  more  prolific  branch 
for  branch  than  our  common  chestnut  Castanca  den- 
tata.  The  plant  is  southern  ;  it  crosses  the  border 
in  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  but  its  chosen  home 
is  upon  the  slopes  of  the  southern  Alleghanies. 


44» 


BETULACE^E— BIRCH    FAMILY 

HAZEL-NUT.     AMERICAN    HAZEL 
Cdrylus  atnericana. 

The  husk  of  the  hazel  resembles  a  cap  ;  whence  its  English 
name  from  the  Saxon  haesle,  a  cap  ;  its  botanic  name  from 
the  Greek,  corys,  a  helmet. 

Three  to  six  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps  and  thickets  in  dry 
or  moist  light  soil  at  the  edge  of  woods  or  beside  walls.  Ranges 
from  Maine  and  Ontario,  south  to  Florida  and  Kansas.  Suckers 
freely. 

Stems. — Young  shoots  russet-brown,  densely  hispid-pubescent 
with  pinkish  hairs,  the  twig  finally  becoming  smooth;  stem 
dark  brown. 

Leaves.  —  Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three  to  six 
inches  long,  ovate  or  broadly  oval,  heart-shaped  or  rounded  at 
base,  irregularly  and  somewhat  doubly  serrate,  acute  or  acumi- 
nate at  apex.  When  full  grown  are  dark  yellow  green,  nearly 
smooth  above,  pale  green  and  finely  tomentose  beneath.  In  au- 
tumn they  turn  a  dull  yellow.  Petioles  short,  terete,  glandular- 
hairy.  Stipules  large,  acute,  toothed,  fugitive. 

Flowers. — March,  April,  before  the  leaves;  moncecious. 
Staminate  aments  borne  in  the  axils  of  last  year's  leaves  along 
the  stem  toward  the  end  ;  when  mature  are  slender,  cylin- 
drical, tremulous  catkins,  three  to  four  inches  long,  terminal  or 
dependent  from  lateral  foot  stalks,  solitary  or  rarely  clustered. 
The  flowers,  solitary  in  the  axil  of  each  bract,  consist  of  four 
stamens  and  two  bractlets  ;  filaments  are  two-cleft,  each  fork 
tearing  an  anther-sac.  Pistillate  flowers  are  little  star-like  tufts 
of  crimson  stigmas,  projecting  above  a  short  scaly  bud  of  many 

449 


BIRCH    FAMILY 


Hazel-nut,  Cotyliis  americaiia. 
Leaves  3'  to  (/  long. 


HAZEL-NUT 


Hazel-nut,  Corylus  anuricana. 

Catkins  3'  to  4'  long. 


BIRCH    FAMILY 


scales  ;  the  outer  scales  broad  and  edged  with  hair,  the  inner  lan- 
ceolate hairy  and  fleshy.  Ovary  incompletely  two-celled,  adnate 
to  the  calyx  ;  style  short,  stigmas  two,  threadlike.  These  inner 
scales  increase  in  size  with  the  nut  and  become  the  husk,  or  in- 
volucre. 

Fruit. — Nut,  ovoid,  or  oblong,  about  half  an  inch  high, 
slightly  flattened  ;  pale  brown,  roughish  at  base  where  it  adheres 
to  the  involucre.  Involucre  compressed,  composed  of  two  nearly 
distinct,  downy,  leaf-like  bractlets,  fringed  on  their  margins,  com- 
monly broader  than  high,  more  or  less  exceeding  the  nut,  becom- 
ing grayish  brown  when  mature.  Kernel  sweet.  July,  August. 

The  Hazel-nut  responds  to  the  first  smile  of  spring 
in  the  same  way  as  the  alders.  The  staminate  catkins 
hang  stiff  and  rigid  throughout  the 
winter,  but  they  relax  as  soon  as 
warmth  comes,  develop  their  pollen, 
Ming  it  upon  the  wind  and  fade  away. 

The  fruit  of  the  American  Hazel 
resembles  the  filbert  of  commerce;  in 
flavor  it  is  fully  equal,  many  consider 
it  superior.  Certainly  the  size  and 
quality  of  the  nut  is  such,  that  were 
it  worth  while,  by  careful  cultivation, 
and  by  judicious  selection  of  seedlings, 
a  race  of  fruit-bearing  hazels  could 
be  produced  whose  product  would 
equal  if  it  did  not  surpass  that  of  the 
European  species.  But  as  it  is,  our 
hazel-nuts  comfort  the  squirrels,  who 
gallantly  resent  intrusion  upon  their 
preserves,  and  delight  the  children  who 
wish  to  go  nutting.  Possibly  this  wild 
service  is  sufficient ;  who  shall  say  that  it  is  not  ? 
The  name  of  this  bush  has  always  expressed  the  feel 

452 


Winter  Branch  of 
American  Hazel-nut. 
Catkins  scattered 
along  the  branch,  as 
well  as  grouped  at 
the  end. 


BEAKED    HAZEL-NUT 


Beaked  Hazel-nut,  Corylus  rostrata. 

Leaves  a'  to  4'  long. 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

ing  that  the  fruit  wears  a  helmet.  That  which  finally 
forms  this  leafy  helmet  or  involucre  around  the  nut, 
exists  around  the  young  ovary  as  a  little  girdle  of  two 
tiny  scales  with  fringed  margins. 

BEAKED    HAZEL-NUT 
Cdryhts  rostrata. 

Two  to  six  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps  and  in  thickets. 
Ranges  from  Nova  Scotia  to  British  Columbia,  south  to  Georgia 
and  Tennessee,  west  to  Kansas  and  Oregon.  Suckers  freely. 

Stems. — Recent  shoots  yellowish  brown,  densely  hairy  or 
smooth  ;  older  branches  darker  brown  and  rough,  stems  dark 
brown. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  veins  depressed 
above,  very  prominent  beneath,  two  to  four  inches  long,  ovate, 
oblong-ovate,  or  obovate,  heart-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  irreg- 
ularly and  somewhat  doubly  serrate,  acute  or  acuminate  at  apex. 
When  full  grown  are  bright  green,  hairy  or  smooth  above,  paler 
and  sparingly  hairy  or  very  downy  below.  In  autumn  they 
turn  bright  yellow.  Petioles  short,  terete,  smooth. 

Flowers. — April,  May,  before  the  leaves;  monoecious.  Stami- 
nate  aments  very  similar  to  those  of  Corylus  aincricana.  Pistil- 
late flowers  cluster  in  a  scaly  bud  and  bristle  with  crimson 
threadlike  stigmas. 

Fruit. — Nut  ovoid,  somewhat  compressed,  pale  brown.  In- 
volucre composed  of  two  bristly,  hairy  bractlets  united  to  the 
summit  and  lengthened  into  a  tubular  beak  about  twice  the  length 
of  the  nut  ;  tube  minutely  grooved,  fringed  at  the  summit,  and 
densely  hairy.  As  the  nut  ripens  the  involucre  becomes  a  pale 
yellow  brown  varying  to  a  rich  reddish  brown  ;  kernel  sweet. 

The  marked  character  of  the  Beaked  Hazel-nut  is 
the  involucre  which  surrounds  the  nut.  It  certainly 
suggests  a  narrow  long-necked  bottle  with  the  nut 
snugly  packed  inside.  As  these  involucres  mature 

454 


LOW    BIRCH 


Low  Birch,  Betula  pumila. 

Leaves  %'  to  ij$'  long- 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

with  the  ripening  nut,  they  show  a  rare  scheme  of 
color  which  varies  from  yellows  through  browns  to 
red ;  and  the  dense  hairs  give  a  velvety  look.  The 
nuts  are  all  terminal,  but  out  of  a  cluster  that  seem  to 
start  even,  two  or  three  outstrip  the  rest  and  grow, — 
the  others  abort,  leaving  their  little  bottle  necks  to 
show  where  they  began  life. 

LOW    BIRCH.     BOG   BIRCH 

Betula  pitmila.     Betula  humilis. 
Betulat  an  ancient  name  of  uncertain  derivation. 

A  bog  shrub  two  to  fifteen  feet  Jiigh,  with  twigs  densely  pubes- 
cent at  first,  afterward  glabrous.  Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to 
the  Northwest  Territories,  southward  to  New  Jersey,  Ohio  and 
Minnesota. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  veins  very  prom- 
inent beneath,  one-half  to  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  obovate, 
broadly  oval  or  orbicular,  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  base, 
coarsely  and  irregularly  dentate,  obtuse  or  slightly  acute  at  apex. 
They  come  out  of  the  bud  pale  green,  densely  pubescent,  brown- 
ish ;  when  full  grown  are  thick,  dull  green,  pubescent  or  glabrous 
above,  pale  green,  brownish  tomentose  or  glabrous  and  very  retic- 
ulately-veined  beneath.  Autumnal  tint  clear,  bright  yellow. 
Petioles  short.  Stipules  fugacious. 

Flowers. — May,  June,  with  the  leaves.  Monoecious  ;  the 
flowers  of  both  kinds  borne  in  catkins.  Staminate  flower  consists 
of  a  four-toothed  perianth,  subtended  by  two  bractlets  and  bear- 
ing two  stamens  ;  filaments  short,  deeply  two-cleft ;  each  fork 
bearing  an  anther-sac.  Pistillate  flowers  two  or  three  in  the  axil 
of  each  bract,  the  bracts  deciduous  with  the  fruits ;  perianth 
none;  ovary  sessile,  two-celled  ;  styles  two,  mostly  persistent. 

Fruit. — Strobile,  oblong-cylindric,  about  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  long,  erect,  peduncled.  Fruiting  bract  puberulent  or  cili- 
ate,  three-lobed,  lateral  lobes  shorter  than  the  middle  one.  Nut 
small,  oblong,  rather  broader  than  its  wings. 

456 


DWARF    BIRCH 


Dwarf  Birch,  Betula  glandulosa. 
Leaves  y4'  to  i'  long. 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

Our  two  low  birches  undoubtedly  owe  their  hum- 
ble position  in  an  arborescent  genus  to  their  environ- 
ment. One  is  a  denizen  of  storm-swept  mountain 
tops;  the  other  dwells  in  the  bogs.  Both  are  excel- 
lent shrubs  in  cultivation,  clean  cut,  slender-stemmed, 
bright-foliaged. 

The  birch  fruit  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  form. 
It  appears  as  a  cone  made  up  of  a  large  number  of 
three-lobecl  scales  closely  packed  one  above  another, 
all  attached  to  a  central  axis.  Lying  above  each 
one,  in  fact  fitting  into  a  little  hollow  prepared  for  it, 
is  a  small  winged  nut,  which  as  the  cone  matures  is  re- 
leased from  its  protecting  scale  and  permitted  to  sail 
away  as  the  wind  directs.  One  has  to  reconstruct 
one's  idea  of  a  nut  to  make  this  minute  winged  seed 
seem  to  be  one,  but  so  the  botanists  call  it. 

DWARF    BIRCH.     GLANDULAR    BIRCH 

Betula  glandtilbsa. 

A  shrub,  one  to  four  feet  high  ;  twigs  brown,  glandular-dotted, 
not  pubescent ;  found  in  wet  meadows  and  on  mountain  sides. 
Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Alaska,  the  higher  mountains  of 
New  England  and  northern  New  York,  west  to  Michigan,  Min- 
nesota and  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  Colorado  ;  also  in  Asia. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  pinnately  veined,  three-fourths  to 
an  inch  long,  orbicular,  oval  or  obovate,  rounded  or  slightly 
cordate  at  base,  irregularly  dentulate-serrate,  rounded  at  apex. 
When  full  grown  are  very  reticulate.  Thick,  bright  green, 
glabrous  above,  pale  and  glandular-dotted  beneath.  Autumnal 
tint  clear  bright  yellow.  Petioles  short.  Stipules  fugacious. 

Flowers. — June,  July.  Monoecious.  Staminate  aments  soli- 
tary, about  half  an  inch  long  ;  the  flowers,  about  three  together 
in  the  axil  of  each  bract,  consisting  of  a  membranous  four- 

458 


SPECKLED    ALDER 


Speckled  Alder,  Alnm  IIICJHJ. 

Leaves  3'  to  5'  long. 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

toothed  scale,  two  stamens,  and  subtended  by  two  bractlets  ; 
filaments  short,  deeply  two-cleft,  each  fork  bearing  an  anther- 
sac.  Pistillate  aments  cylindric,  erect,  peduncled  ;  flowers  two 
or  three  in  the  axil  of  each  bract;  the  bracts  three-lobed,  lateral 
lobes  divergent,  deciduous  with  the  fruit;  ovary  sessile,  two- 
celled  ;  styles  two. 

Fruit. — Strobile,  oblong-cylindric,  a  half  to  an  inch  long, 
erect,  peduncled,  obtuse  at  base  and  apex.  Fruiting  bract  gla- 
brous, three-lobed,  lateral  lobes  divergent,  rather  shorter  than  the 
middle  one.  Nut  tiny,  oblong,  usually  narrower  than  its  wings. 

A  little  inland  on  the  North  Cape,  the  dwarf  birch  makes  its  appearance ; 
when  sheltered  attaining  a  length  of  about  a  foot  with  a  stem  of  a  quarter  to 
a  third  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  requiring  a  generation  or  two  to  reach 
these  dimensions.  It  did  not  raise  its  top  toward  the  sun,  but  crouched  to 
the  earth,  clinging  to  it  like  a  creeping  plant,  to  escape  being  torn  away  by 
the  force  of  the  winds. 

— "  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun."     PAUL  B.   Du  CHAILLU. 


SPECKLED   ALDER.     HOARY   ALDER 

Alnus   incana. 

Almts,  an  ancient  Latin  name  derived  from  the  Celtic  ;  in 
allusion  to  the  growth  of  these  plants  along  streams. 

The  common  northern  brook-side  alder,  abundant  at  the  edge 
of  streams  and  in  swamps  ;  reaches  a  height  of  eight  to  ten  feet. 
Ranges  from  Newfoundland  to  Pennsylvania  and  west  to  Nebraska. 

Stems. — Recent  shoots  and  fruit  stalks  brown  and  downy, 
dotted  with  orange  lenticels,  which  gradually  become  ashen  or 
grayish  brown.  Those  stems  that  are  deeply  shaded  are  often 
deep  red  or  dark  green.  All  are  speckled  with  conspicuous 
light  gray  lenticels. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  three  to  five  inches  long,  two  to 
four  inches  wide,  broad-oval,  rounded  or  cordate  at  base,  doubly 
or  irregularly  serrate,  acute  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud 
very  downy  ;  when  full  grown  are  bright  dark  green  above, 
pale,  sometimes  pubescent  and  often  whitish,  below  ;  midvein 
and  primary  veins  depressed  above,  ridged  below.  In  autumn 
they  turn  a  bright,  clear  yellow.  Petiole  short,  stout. 

460 


SPECKLED   ALDER 


Upper  Spray,  Catkins  of  Alms  rugosa. 
Lower  Spray,  Catkins  of  Alnus  incana 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

Flowers. — March,  April,  before  the  leaves.  Monoecious. 
Staminate  aments  are  slender,  cylindrical,  formed  in  the  previous 
autumn  and  hang  in  stiff  and  terminal  clusters  of  three,  four  or 
five  together  on  short,  leafless  branches  or  peduncles ;  when  ma- 
ture they  become  two  or  three  inches  long.  They  then  consist 
of  a  central  axis  bearing  brown  or  purple  scales  on  short  stalks  ; 
beneath  each  scale  are  three  similar  ones,  each  containing  a 
three  to  five-lobed  calyx-cup,  with  three  to  five  stamens  from 
whose  anthers  issues  a  cloud  of  pollen.  The  pistillate  aments 
are  also  formed  during  the  previous  autumn  ;  are  one-fourth  to 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  clustered  usually  in  threes ;  when 
mature  they  become  deep  purple,  bristling  with  scarlet  styles. 
The  position  of  these  pistillate  aments  is  a  distinguishing  charac- 
ter of  the  plant ;  they  look  upward. 

Fruit. — Strobile  of  woody  scales  grown  together,  composed  of 
the  pistillate  ament  enlarged  and  hardened.  Its  scales  have  be- 
come woody  and  each  protects  a  wingless  seed-vessel  which  is 
one-celled  and  one-seeded.  October. 

The  Speckled  Alder  is  easily  distinguished  by  the  brilliant,  polished, 
reddish  green  color  of  its  stem-bark,  and  the  size,  regularity,  impressed 
reticulations  and  the  downy  under-surface  of  the  leaves.  The  branchlets,  at 
the  time  of  flowering,  are  dependent,  and  the  long,  pendulous,  sterile  cat- 
kins are  thus  terminal,  while  the  ovate  fertile  ones  are  on  shorter,  lateral 
foot-stalks  just  above.  This  is  the  reverse  of  the  arrangement  of  the  catkins 
in  the  Common  Alder  in  which  the  fertile  aments,  being  erect,  seem  termi- 
nal, while  the  sterile  ones  bend  down.  The  flowers  of  the  alder  are  among 
the  earliest  harbingers  of  spring. 

— GEORGE  H.  EMERSON. 

The  earliest  familiar  token  of  the  coming  season  is  the  expansion  of  the 
stiff  catkins  of  the  alder  into  soft  drooping  tresses.  These  are  so  sensitive, 
that  if  you  pluck  them  at  almost  any  time  during  the  winter,  a  few  days' 
sunshine  will  make  them  open  in  a  vase  of  water,  and  thus  they  eagerly 
yield  to  every  moment  of  April  warmth.  The  blossom  of  the  birch  is  more 
delicate,  that  of  the  willow  more  showy,  but  the  alders  come  first.  They 
cluster  and  dance  everywhere  upon  the  bare  bough  above  the  watercourses ; 
the  blackness  of  the  buds  is  softened  into  rich  brown  and  yellow,  and  as 
this  graceful  creature  thus  comes  waving  into  the  spring,  it  is  pleasant  to 
remember  that  the  Norse  Eddas  fabled  the  first  woman  to  have  been  named 
Embla,  because  she  was  created  from  an  alder-bough. 

— THOMAS  WENTWORTH  HIGGINSON. 
462 


SPECKLED    ALDER 

The  Speckled  Alder  crowds  as  near  to  the  water's 
edge  as  it  is  possible  to  grow  and  then  leans  over  as  if 
hoping  to  go  farther.  In  midsummer  its  dark  green 
foliage  fringes  the  northern  watercourses  and  forms  a 
natural  hedge.  Its  strong  matted  roots  give  stability 
to  the  soft  banks  and  keep  the  stream  within  bounds. 

Throughout  the  winter  many  of  the  slender  stems 
bear  terminal  clusters  of  stiff,  cylindrical,  uncompro- 
mising catkins  which  were  formed  the  previous  autumn, 
and  which  without  protection  withstand  the  assaults  of 
frost  and  snow  and  ice.  These  catkins  like  the  flower 
buds  of  the  Silver  Maple  respond  to  the  first  breath  of 
spring ;  the  stiff  fibres  relax,  the  scales  open,  and 
clusters  of  long  plumy  tassels,  royal  in  their  purple 
and  gold,  droop  from  every  twig  and  branchlet.  The 
catkin-scales  are  a  deep  brownish  purple  and  the  an- 
thers bear  immense  quantities  of  pollen  which  when 
mature  fall  in  clouds  of  golden  dust. 

The  fruit  looks  like  a  small  pine  cone  ;  each  woody 
scale  protects  a  woody  seed-vessel  which  in  time  is 
released  as  the  little  cone  opens.  The  seeds  are  dis- 
charged in  the  autumn  and  early  winter,  but  the  cones 
persist  until  the  following  summer. 

Lenticels  appear  more  or  less  abundantly  upon  all 
exogenous  woody  stems  ;  upon  many  quite  as  abun- 
dantly as  upon  the  Alnus  incana,  but  in  comparison 
with  Alnus  rugosa  it  bears  a  great  many,  whence  the 
common  name  Speckled  Alder. 

In  very  young  shoots  of  shrubs  and  trees  there  are 
stomata  or  breathing  pores  which  occur  abundantly  in 
the  epidermis,  serving  for  the  admission  of  air  and  the 
escape  of  moisture  ;  while  the  green  layer  of  the  bark 

463 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

answers  the  same  purpose  that  is  served  by  the  green 
pulp  of  the  leaf.  As  the  shoot  matures,  the  stomata 
are  succeeded  by  lenticels  or  spongy  places,  which 
scattered  over  the  external  surface  of  the  bark  serve  to 
admit  air  to  the  interior  of  the  stem.  They  appear  at 
first  as  roundish  spots  of  very  small  size,  but  as  the 
shoot  on  which  they  occur  increases  in  diameter  the 
lenticels  enlarge. 

Gardeners  think  well  of  the  Speckled  Alder.  It 
thrives  in  wet  places,  its  leaves  push  out  early,  making 
it  attractive  when  other  shrubs  are  bare.  Alders 
transplant  well,  are  natural  adjuncts  to  a  slow-flowing 
stream,  and  appropriate  companions  for  the  willows. 

SMOOTH   ALDER 

Alniis  rugbsa.     Alnus  serrulata, 

The  common  alder  of  the  southern  states  ;  often  found  grow- 
ing with  the  northern  form,  frequently  forming  thickets  at  the 
edge  of  streams  and  in  swamps  ;  usually  six  to  twelve  feet  high. 
Roots  large,  strong,  throwing  up  many  suckers;  bark  astringent. 
Ranges  from  Massachusetts  to  Florida,  westward  to  southern 
Minnesota  and  Texas. 

Stems. — When  young,  brownish  green,  smooth  or  downy  ; 
older  stems  grayish  green  or  dark  green. 

Z<?tfz'<?.y.— Alternate,  simple,  two  and  one-half  to  four  and  one- 
half  inches  long,  broad,  oval  or  obovate,  rounded  or  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  minutely  serrulate  and  undulate,  rounded  or 
with  a  blunt  point  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  pale 
green  and  downy  ;  when  full  grown  are  thick,  dark  green,  gla- 
brous and  shining  above,  paler  green,  and  usually  pubescent  on 
the  veins  beneath.  Small,  resinous  dots  appear  on  young  leaves. 
Midvein  and  primary  veins  depressed  above,  ridged  beneath  ; 
downy  when  leaves  are  young,  afterward  downy  at  the  axils  only. 
The  autumnal  tint  is  yellow  touched  with  red.  Stipules  broad- 

464 


SMOOTH    ALDER 


Smooth  Alder,  Alnus  rugoaa 

leaves  »H'  «»>  -|K'  I°"X- 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

oval,  rounded  and  enclose  the  unexpanded  leaf.  Petioles  short, 
scaly,  dotted. 

Flowers. — March,  April,  before  the  leaves.  Monoecious.  The 
staminate  aments  are  slender,  cylindrical ;  formed  in  the  pre- 
vious autumn,  and  hang  stiff,  in  terminal  clusters  of  three,  four 
or  five  together  on  short  leafless  branches  or  peduncles.  When 
mature  they  become  drooping  tassels  loaded  with  pollen.  They 
consist  of  a  central  axis,  which  bears  brown  or  purple,  heart- 
shaped  or  rhomboidal  scales  on  short  stalks.  Beneath  each  scale 
are  three  smaller  ones,  each  containing  a  three  to  five-lobed 
calyx-cup,  with  three  to  five  stamens  from  whose  anthers  issues  a 
cloud  of  pollen.  The  pistillate  aments  are  also  formed  during 
the  previous  autumn  ;  are  one-fourth  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
long,  clustered  usually  in  threes  ;  when  mature  they  become  deep 
purple  bristling  with  scarlet  styles.  The  pistillate  aments  look 
forward  and  downward. 

Fruit. — Strobile  of  woody  scales  grown  together,  composed  of 
the  pistillate  ament  enlarged  and  hardened.  Its  scales  have  be- 
come woody,  and  each  protects  a  wingless  seed-vessel  which  is 
one-celled  and  one-seeded.  October. 

The  two  Alders,  Alnus  incana  and  A  Inns  rugosa,  are 
very  much  alike  in  habit;  they  enter  upon  the  heritage 
of  the  spring-time  like  two  Dromios, — not  one  before 
the  other.  The  change  that  the  first  warm  clays  in 
early  spring  produce  in  the  Alder  bushes  is  very  grati- 
fying to  one  who  is  listening  for  the  call  of  the  robin 
and  the  song  of  the  bluebird.  It  gives  an  added  ap- 
preciation of  the  power  of  sunshine. 

Through  all  the  black  days  of  winter,  assailed  by  ice 
and  snow  and  cutting  winds,  the  stiff,  ungainly  catkins 
have  held  their  place  untouched  and  unchanged  ;  but 
when  "  The  hounds  of  spring  are  on  winter's  traces," 
and  the  March  sun  has  warmed  the  earth  a  little,  the 
dark,  stiff  cylinders  begin  to  soften  and  lengthen, — 
gradually  they  lose  the  purple  and  take  on  the  yellow, 
the  color  of  many  stamens  and  much  pollen.  The  su- 

466 


MOUNTAIN   ALDER 


Mountain  Alder,  Alnus  ahiobetula. 
LMVM  a7  to  5'  long. 


BIRCH    FAMILY 

preme  moment  is  brief;  for  a  da}7  or  two  they  are  the 
perfection  of  grace  and  beaut}7,  then  the  axis  weakens 
and  becomes  lax ;  they  cast  their  pollen  to  the  winds 
and  pass  away. 

GREEN    OR    MOUNTAIN   ALDER 

Alnus  alnobetula.     Alnus  viridis. 

A  shrub  of  northern  habitat,  ranging  from  New- 
foundland to  Alaska,  southward  to  Michigan  and  New 
York,  and  down  to  the  Carolinas  along  the  Alleghany 
mountains.  It  attains  a  height  of  six  feet;  the  young 
foliage  is  glutinous  and  more  or  less  pubescent. 

The  leaves  are  broadly  oval  or  ovate,  two  to  five 
inches  long,  minutely  incised-serrulate,  rounded  or 
slightly  heart-shaped  at  base,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex. 
When  mature  dark  green  and  glabrous  above,  paler 
and  pubescent  on  the  veins  beneath.  The  next  year's 
buds  are  found  well  grown  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  in 
July,  are  three-eighths  of  an  inch  long,  reddish,  slender, 
pointed, — quite  a  marked  summer  character  of  the  bush. 

For  an  alder  it  is  a  late  bloomer,  the  catkins  expand- 
ing with  the  leaves.  The  staminate  are  very  large  and 
handsome  and  quite  abundant.  Like  all  our  alders  the 
sterile  catkins  are  exposed  during  the  winter;  but  the 
small  fertile  ones  are  protected  within  large  brown 
buds,  thus  differing  from  the  two  better  known  species, 
which  have  all  the  catkins  exposed  during  the  winter. 
The  fruiting  cones  are  one-half  to  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  long ;  the  nut  is  winged.  The  bush  gives  the  im- 
pression of  lush,  strong  growth  ;  possibly  it  is  no 
greener  than  its  neighbors. 

468 


SALICACE.E—  WILLOW  FAMILY 

THE   WILLOW 


"  The  role  that  the  willow  plays  in  the  north  temperate  zone 
is  to  a  certain  extent  analogous  to  that  of  the  Eucalyptus  in  sub- 
tropical regions  in  that  it  flourishes  in  wet  ground  and  absorls 
and  transpires  immense  quantities  of  water.  But  while  most  of  the 
species  occur  spontaneously  in  wet  ground  or  along  the  banks  of 
streams,  the  willow  may  be  cultivated  in  various  locations." 

—  "  Cyclopedia  of  American  Horticulture." 

Salix  is  a  genus  of  dioecious  trees  and  shrubs,  char- 
acterized by  simple  leaves,  much  longer  than  broad  ; 
buds  with  a  single  bud  scale  ;  flowers  in  lax  scaly  cat- 
kins ;  each  flower  subtended  by  a  single  entire  scale 
and  nearly  or  quite  destitute  of  a  perianth.  The  stn  ru- 
inate flowers  have  one,  two,  or  three  to  six  stamens  ; 
the  pistillate  flowers  consist  of  a  single  pistil,  composed 
of  two  carpels  and  two  more  or  less  divided  stigmas. 
At  maturity  the  pistil  opens,  setting  free  the  small 
seeds  which  are  furnished  with  long  silky  down. 

The  willow  hybridizes  naturally,  and  it  is  this  which 
makes  the  determination  of  the  different  species  so 
difficult.  The  most  that  an  amateur  can  hope  to  do  is 
to  know  the  marked  types.  Yet  we  at  least  can  know 

469 


WILLOW   FAMILY 


Pussy  Willow,  Salix  discolor* 

Catkins  on  the  stem  at  the  left  are  pistillate ;  those  on  the  stems  at  the  right  are  staminate. 


BALSAM    WILLOW 


Balsam  Willow,  Salix  balsami/era. 
Leaves  a'  to  4'  long. 


the  shrubs  that  follow  the  watercourses,  that  shine 
and  gleam  in  the  winter  sunshine ;  telling  by  their 
brilliancy  in  February  that  spring  is  coming.  One 
species,  the  Pussy  Willow,  meets  the  goddess  half 
way,  with  its  furry  catkins  creeping  out  from  under 
their  protecting  scales. 

In  order  really  to  know  a  willow,  it  should  be  seen 
leafless,  when  bursting  into  bloom,  in  full  leaf,  and  in 
fruit ;  and  as  each  species  is  dioecious,  both  pistillate 
and  staminate  forms  should  be  studied.  This  can  be 
done  satisfactorily  only  in  plantations  definitely  ar- 
ranged for  the  purpose. 

BALSAM   WILLOW 
SdZix  balsamifera. 

An  irregularly  branching  shrub  four  to  ten  feet  high,  often 
growing  in  clumps;  found  in  open  swamps  and  low  lands. 
Ranges  across  the  continent  from  Labrador  to  Manitoba,  south- 
ward to  Maine  and  Minnesota;  has  been  found  in  the  White 
Mountains. 

Stems. — Bark  of  old  stems  smooth,  dull  gray,  branches  olive  ; 
recent  twigs  reddish  brown,  shining. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  very  reticulate-veined,  two  to  four 
inches  long,  elliptic,  ovate  or  obovate,  rounded  or  heart-shaped 
at  base,  glandular-serrate,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex.  When  full 
grown  are  dark  green,  glabrous  above,  pale  green  or  glaucous 
beneath.  Petioles  long  and  slender.  Stipules  minute  or  none. 

Flowers. — May.  Catkins  borne  on  slender  leafy  peduncles, 
expanding  with  the  leaves.  The  staminate  densely-flowered, 
silky,  cylindric,  about  an  inch  long ;  scales  rosy,  anthers  at  first 
reddish,  becoming  deep  yellow.  The  pistillate  catkin  in  fruit,  be- 
comes very  lax,  two  to  three  inches  long.  Fruiting  capsule  very 
narrow,  acute,  not  quite  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

472 


BROAD-LEAVED   WILLOW 


Broad-leaved  Willow,  Salix  glaiicopbvlla. 

Leaves  j'  to  4'  long. 


WILLOW    FAMILY 

"With  the  fertile  capsules  opening  and  coalescing  into  huge  soft  balls  of 
whitest  wool  almost  hiding  the  beautiful  red  and  maroon  leaves  of  the  grow- 
ing tips,  it  (Salix  balsamifera)  is  certainly  the  handsomest  willow  I  ever 
saw. 

— TORREY  BOTANIC  CLUB. 

The  Balsam  Willow  assumes  its  finest  form  in  open 
swampy  grounds,  where  it  is  exposed  to  the  sun  on  all 
sides ;  under  these  conditions  it  forms  large  broad 
clumps.  When  in  flower,  it  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  willows. 

BROAD-LEAVED    WILLOW 

S&lix  glaucopiiylla. 

Two  to  six  feet  high,  found  on  the  sandy  shores  of  the  Great 
Lakes.  Ranges  from  Illinois  and  Michigan  to  Wisconsin  ;  occa- 
sionally found  somewhat  back  from  the  shore. 

Stems. — Light  gray  ;  shoots  and  twigs  smooth  and  yellowish. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  three  to  four  inches  long,  nearly 
two  inches  wide,  ovate,  obovate  or  oblong-lanceolate,  rounded  or 
acute  at  base,  serrulate  with  gland-tipped  teeth,  short  acuminate 
at  apex  ;  when  full  grown  dark  green  and  shining  above,  glaucous 
beneath.  Petioles  stout,  a  quarter  to  half  an  inch  long.  Stip- 
ules large,  persistent,  auriculate,  dentate. 

Flowers. — April.  Catkins  expanding  before  the  leaves ;  very 
silky,  leafy-bracted  at  base.  Staminate  about  two  inches  long  ; 
pistillate  often  three  inches  long  in  fruit.  Bracts  densely  white, 
downy,  persistent.  Fruiting  capsules  long-beaked  from  an  ovoid 
base,  acute,  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

Salix  glaucopJiylla  lives  by  choice  on  the  sand  ridges 
and  dunes  of  the  Great  Lakes,  and  is  especially  abun- 
dant on  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  Every  plant  that 
lives  among  shifting  sands  develops  its  own  means  of 
self-protection;  and  this  is  usually  either  a  peculiarly 
fibrous  root  or  an  extremely  vital  stem.  This  willow 
depends  largely  upon  its  stem,  which  takes  root 

474 


HEART-LEAVED   WILLOW 


Heart-leaved  Willow,  Salix  cor  data. 


WILLOW   FAMILY 

readily  at  the  nodes  and  quickly  sends  shoots  into  the 
air  while  the  roots  take  hold  of  the  sand.  In  this  way 
extensive  clumps  are  formed  which  crown  the  low 
hills. 

HEART-LEAVED   WILLOW.      DIAMOND   WILLOW 

Salix  cor  data. 

Five  to  twelve  feet  high,  growing  in  clumps  in  wet  soil  and 
along  the  watercourses.  Range  from  New  Brunswick  to  British 
Columbia,  south  to  Virginia,  Missouri  and  California.  Hybri- 
dizes freely. 

Stems. — Brown  or  on  older  stems  ashy  gray  or  yellowish  brown. 
Branches  greenish  brown,  or  bright  green  or  bronze  yellow, 
smooth  ;  recent  shoots  yellowish,  or  pale  green,  or  downy  white. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  oblong,  lanceolate,  narrowed,  ob- 
tuse or  heart-shaped  at  base,  sharply  serrulate  with  glandular 
teeth,  acuminate  at  apex.  They  come  out  of  the  bud  condupli- 
cate,  downy  ;  when  full  grown,  green  on  both  sides  or  paler  be- 
neath. Petioles  half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long.  Stipules 
oblique,  serrulate,  usually  large  and  persistent. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Catkins  expanding  before  the  leaves. 
Staminate  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  about  three  sta- 
mens to  a  flower  ;  the  pistillate  one  to  two  inches  long  in  fruit. 
Fruiting  capsule  narrowly-ovoid,  acute. 

This  shrub  of  the  watercourses  grows  in  character- 
istic clumps  which  are  formed  by  the  development  of 
sprouts  from  the  original  plant.  In  the  larger  clumps 
the  first  or  oldest  stem  is  usually  dead  or  dying  ;  its 
vitality  sapped  by  the  gradual  formation  of  the  stems 
about  it.  These  stems  are  smooth  and  flexible,  but 
tough  as  well,  and  are  sometimes  used  in  basket  work. 

The  name  Diamond  Willow,  which  seems  to  be  local 
to  the  west,  is  due  to  the  peculiar  way  in  which  the 
bark  cracks  on  the  older  stems. 

476 


FURRY  WILLOW 

The  plant  loves  water  and  prefers  locations  that  are 
frequently  submerged.  The  roots  form  large  tangled 
masses  on  the  sides  of  streams,  and  are  much  larger 
than  the  stems  proceeding  from  them. 

FURRY  WILLOW 

Sdlix  adenophylla. 

Straggling  shrub,  three  to  seven  feet  high,  found  in  the  sand 
of  lake  shores  and  river  banks.  Ranges  from  Labrador  to  On- 
tario, southward  to  Pennsylvania  and  Illinois.  Hybridizes  with 
Salix  cordata. 

Leaves.  —  Alternate,  simple,  one  to  two  inches  long,  ovate, 
heart-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  finely  serrulate  with  gland-tipped 
teeth,  acute,  or  short  acuminate,  or  the  lower  obtuse  at  apex. 
When  young  densely  silky  tomentose,  the  silky  hairs  falling  away 
from  the  leaves  when  old.  Petioles  stout,  short,  dilated  at  the 
base,  densely  silky.  Stipules  ovate-cordate,  obtuse  serrulate,  per- 
sistent, densely  silky. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Catkins  expanding  with  the  leaves, 
leafy-bracted  at  base,  densely  flowered.  Staminate  less  than  an 
inch  long  ;  pistillate  about  two  inches  long  in  fruit.  Fruiting 
capsule  small,  ovoid-conic,  acute. 

The  Furry  Willow  like  the  Broad-leaved  Willow 
loves  the  sands.  Its  common  name  is  not  misapplied, 
for  the  growing  shoot  is  densely  covered  —  twigs, 
petioles,  stipules,  and  opening  leaves — with  a  furry 
white  coat  of  woolly  hairs  which  give  a  grayish  green 
aspect  to  the  bush.  In  order  to  hold  its  own  in  adverse 
conditions,  its  stems  are  endowed  with  an  intense 
vitality,  and  where  the  sand  drifts  over  and  buries 
one,  it  there  takes  root  and  sends  up  other  stems  and 
so  forms  clumps  which  in  time  cover  the  barren  waste. 

The  economic  value  of  those  plants  of  the  shore  that 

477 


WILLOW   FAMILY 

bind  down  the  moving  sand  is  very  great ;  for  the  pro- 
tection of  valuable  property  from  the  encroachment  of 
shifting  dunes  is  becoming  an  important  problem  in 
many  parts  of  our  country.  The  regions  most  affected 
are  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts,  the  lake  district  of 
Michigan,  and  the  Columbia  river  district  of  Washing- 
ton and  Oregon.  Very  successful  work  in  holding  the 
sand  by  grass  and  shrub  planting  has  already  been 
done  by  the  State  of  Massachusetts  on  a  portion  of 
Cape  Cod  known  as  the  Province  Lands. 

BOG    WILLOW 

Sdlix  my  r  filicides. 

Erect,  slender,  glabrous,  twigs  pale  brown,  attains  the  height 
of  one  to  three  feet,  found  in  bogs.  Ranges  from  New  Bruns- 
wick and  Quebec  to  British  Columbia,  south  to  New  Jersey  and 
Iowa;  also  in  northern  Europe. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  halt 
long,  oblong,  elliptic  or  somewhat  obovate,  mostly  narrowed  at 
the  base,  entire,  slightly  revoltite,  obtuse  or  acute  at  the  apex, 
when  full  grown  bright  green  above,  pale  or  glaucous  beneath. 
Petioles  short. 

Flowers. — April,  May.  Catkins  expanding  with  the  leaves, 
leafy-bracted  at  the  base,  rather  dense.  The  staminate  rather 
less  than  an  inch  long ;  the  pistillate  rather  more.  Fruiting 
capsule  oblong-conic,  obtuse,  glabrous,  about  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  long. 

PRAIRIE    WILLOW 

Salix  hiimilis. 

Upland  grayish  willow,  three  to  eight  feet  high,  varying  much 
in  size  and  shape  of  leaves  ;'  found  on  dry  soil.  Ranges  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  Ontario,  south  to  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,- 
and  west  to  Nebraska.  Hybridizes  with  Salix  discolor. 

478 


BOG   WILLOW 


Bog  Willow,  Salix  myrtilloides. 

Leaves  i'  to  I  W  long. 


WILLOW    FAMILY 


Prairie  Willow,  Salix  humilts. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long. 


DWARF    GRAY   WILLOW 


Dwarf  Gray  Willow,  Salix  tristis. 

Leaves  Y4'  to  a'  long. 


WILLOW   FAMILY 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  two  to  four  inches  long,  lanceo- 
late or  oblong-lanceolate,  the  lowest  obovate,  acute  at  both  ends, 
or  obtuse  at  the  apex,  sparingly  denticulate,  and  slightly  revo- 
lute.  When  full  grown  dark  green,  dull,  puberulent  or  gla- 
brous above,  glaucous  and  somewhat  downy  beneath.  Petioles 
short.  Stipules  obliquely  lanceolate  or  ovate. 

flowers. — April,  May.  Catkins  unfolding  much  before  the 
leaves,  sessile,  short,  dense,  recurved.  Fruiting  capsule  nar- 
rowly conic. 

SAGE   WILLOW.      DWARF    GRAY   WILLOW 

Sdlix  trlstis. 

A  shrub  with  slender  tufted  stems,  one  to  two  feet  high,  found 
in  dry  soils.  Ranges  from  Maine  to  Minnesota,  southward  to 
Florida  and  Tennessee. 

Leaves. — Simple,  alternate,  three-fourths  to  two  inches  long, 
three-eighths  to  half  an  inch  wide,  oblanceolate  or  linear-oblong, 
wedge-shaped  or  rounded  at  base,  obscurely  undulate  and  revo- 
lute,  acute  or  obtuse  at  apex.  When  full  grown  thick,  very 
reticulate,  yellow-green  above,  densely  woolly,  pubescent  be- 
neath. Petioles  short.  Stipules  minute,  deciduous. 

Flowers. — March,  April.  Catkins  expanding  with  the  leaves, 
small,  globular  or  oval,  sessile,  densely  flowered  ;  bracts  persist- 
ent. Fruiting  capsule  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long. 

The  Dwarf  Gray  Willow  obtains  its  common  name 
from  the  grayish  or  olive  green  effect  which  the  white 
pubescence  of  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  gives  to 
the  bush.  The  slender  stems  are  erect  and  the  leaves 
stand  up  well  so  that  much  of  the  under  surface  is 
seen.  This  willow  is  rather  common  and  is  to  be 
looked  for  on  sandy  plains  and  on  the  borders  of  hill- 
side thickets. 


482 


HOARY   WILLOW 


Hoary  Willow,  Salix  Candida. 

Lravrs  i'  to  4'   long. 


WILLOW  FAMILY 

HOARY  WILLOW 

Salix  Candida. 

A  dwarf  whitish  shrub,  two  to  five  feet  high,  the  older  twigs 
red  or  purple,  the  younger  densely  white-tomentose  ;  found  in 
bogs.  Ranges  from  Labrador  to  the  Northwest  Territories, 
southward  to  New  Jersey,  Iowa  and  Montana. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  very  reticulate-veined,  two  to  four 
inches  long,  narrow-oblong  or  oblong-lanceolate,  acute  at  both 
ends,  or  sometimes  obtuse  at  apex,  margin  obscurely  repand- 
denticulate  or  entire,  slightly  revolute  ;  midvein  white  above, 
very  prominent  beneath.  When  young  densely  covered  above 
and  beneath  with  white  tomentum  ;  when  full  grown  are  thick, 
green,  loosely  tomentose  or  glabrate  above,  densely  tomentose 
beneath.  Petioles  short.  Stipules  ovate,  very  revolute,  semi- 
persistent,  green  above,  white  tomentose  beneath,  about  equalling 
the  petioles  in  length. 

flowers. — May.  Catkins  expanding  before  the  leaves,  densely- 
flowered,  cylindric;  the  staminate  about  an  inch  long;  the  pis- 
tillate one  to  two  inches  long  in  fruit;  bracts  hairy,  persistent. 
Fruiting  capsule  ovoid-conic,  acute,  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long. 

On  its  native  bogs  the  Hoary  Willow  appears  as  a 
sprawling,  straggling'  bush,  and  in  the  garden  where  it 
readily  makes  itself  at  home  it  never  becomes  attrac- 
tive in  habit ;  yet  it  is  always  conspicuous,  for  its  leaves 
as  well  as  the  young  shoots  are  densely  covered  with 
a  white  weblike  wool,  which  marks  it  among  its  com- 
panions. The  blossoms  are  extremely  beautiful,  as 
what  color  they  have  is  emphasized  by  the  white  down 
about  them.  The  staminate  catkins  are  at  first  tipped 
by  red  anthers  which  give  a  rosy  color  to  the  whole ; 
later  as  the  pollen  escapes  they  become  bright  yellow. 
The  pistillate  catkins  are  hoary  at  first,  later  the  pistils 
are  tipped  by  dark  red  stigmas.  Its  flowers  and  its 
foliage  entitle  it  to  a  place  in  any  garden. 

484 


SILKY   WILLOW 


Silky  Willow,  Salix  sericea. 

Leaves  2'  to  4'  long. 


WILLOW  FAMILY 


SILKY   WILLOW 

Salix  sericea. 

A  tall  willow  with  slender,  purplish,  slightly  downy  twigs, 
found  in  swamps  and  along  streams.  Ranges  from  Maine  to 
Michigan  and  southward  to  Virginia. 

Leaves. — Alternate,  simple,  two  to  four  inches  long,  oblong  or 
lanceolate,  narrowed  or  obtuse  at  base,  serrate  with  glandular 
teeth,  acuminate  at  apex.  The  young  leaves  are  densely  silky- 
pubescent,  when  full  grown  they  become  glabrous,  dark  green 
above,  paler  and  somewhat  glaucous  beneath.  Petioles  short, 
sometimes  glandular.  Stipules  narrow,  deciduous. 

Flowers. — May.  Catkins  expanding  before  the  leaves,  sessile, 
usually  with  a  few  leafy  bracts  at  the  base,  densely  flowered. 
The  staminate  about  an  inch  long;  the  pistillate  in  fruit  nearly 
two  inches.  Fruiting  capsule  small,  ovoid-oblong,  obtuse,  pu- 
bescent. 

Salix petio /art's,  the  Slender  Willow,  is  very  similar  in 
general  appearance  to  Salix  sericea,  only  it  is  of  a  more 
delicate  type.  Its  home  is  the  swamps,  its  range  more 
northern  and  western.  The  flowers  appear  in  May. 


486 


SLENDER    WILLOW 


Slender  Willow,  Salix  petiolaris. 

Leaves  if  to  4'  long. 


EMPETRACE.E— CROWBERRY   FAMILY 

BLACK   CROWBERRY.    HEATHBERRY 

Empetrum  nlgrutn. 

Empetrum,  upon  a  rock ;  an  ancient  Greek  name,   refer- 
ring to  the  growth  of  these  plants  in  rocky  places. 

A  low,  evergreen,  much  branched  shrub,  forming  dense  masses 
in  rocky  places  ;  branches  closely  beset  with  oblong-linear  leaves. 
Found  on  the  high  mountains  of  New  England  and  New  York, 
on  the  northern  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Saguenay,  along  the  international  boundary  to  British  Columbia 
and  in  Alaska.  Bark  reddish  brown;  that  of  branches  rough- 
ened with  the  remains  of  petioles. 

Leaves. — Simple,  thickly  scattered  or  whorled,  three-eighths 
to  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long,  oblong-linear,  entire,  edges  so 
revolute  that  they  meet  at  the  back ;  bright  green.  The  leaves 
are  jointed  to  short  pulvini,  channelled  on  the  lower  side  by  the 
revolute  margins. 

flowers. — Summer;  dioecious,  inconspicuous,  solitary  in  the 
axils  of  the  upper  leaves,  purplish.  Sepals  and  petals  mostly 
three.  Staminate  flowers  with  three  stamens,  the  anthers  in- 
trorse.  Pistillate  flowers  with  a  globose,  six  to  nine-celled  ovary 
and  a  short  thick  style  with  six  to  nine-toothed  segments. 

Fruit. — Berry-like  drupe,  globular,  black,  seated  in  the  calyx 
and  crowned  with  remnants  of  the  stigma.  Flesh  juicy,  slightly 
acid,  not  unpleasant,  containing  six  to  nine  seed-like  nutlets. 
Eaten  by  birds. 

The  Black  Crowberry  is  a  subarctic  plant,  found  in 
America,  Europe,  and  Asia,  which  seeks  the  cold  thin 

488 


BLACK   CROWBERRY 


Black  Crowberry,  Empetrum  nt  grunt. 

Leaves  %'  to  J{'  long. 


CROWBERRY   FAMILY 

air  of  mountain  tops  and  is  not  very  particular  as  to 
wet  or  dry  if  only  its  home  is  cool  enough.  It  lifts  its 
branches  three  to  four  inches.  It  curves  the  edges  of 
its  tiny  leaves  backward  until  they  meet,  in  order  to 
lessen  evaporation.  Although  it  lives  amid  moisture, 
it  must  economize  its  store  because  so  much  of  the 
time  the  temperature  is  below  freezing,  when  no  leafy 
plant  can  work.  Linnaeus  records  that  it  lives  on  the 
mountains  of  Lapland,  where  other  plants  perish  with 
the  cold.  Just  over  the  mountains  from  Sitka  it  is 
found  in  great  abundance  ;  also  in  Scotland  it  abounds, 
and  is  there  the  badge  of  the  clan  McLean.  Cattle  do 
not  browse  upon  its  foliage.  The  berries  are  rather 
pleasant  to  the  taste ;  are  eaten  by  man  and  eagerly 
sought  by  the  arctic  birds.  The  plant  will  grow  in 
northern  gardens,  but  requires  a  moist,  boggy  soil  and 
a  shaded  situation.  The  seeds  are  slow  to  germinate, 
and  the  seedlings  are  slow  in  growth.  ,v 

Among  its  many  local  names  are  Crakeberry,  Crow- 
pea,  Black-berried  Heath,  Wire  Ling,  and  the  Cana- 
dians call  the  berries  Camerines. 

In  a  certain  way  an  arctic  plant  appeals  to  the  imag- 
ination more  than  other  plants.  It  has  by  variation 
and  natural  selection,  through  ages  unmeasured  and 
immeasurable,  adapted  itself  to  the  harshest  climate 
that  this  earth  produces;  and  looking  out  toward  the 
limit  of  everlasting  snow,  it  apparently  calls  life  good 
and  the  earth  enjoyable.  Most  of  the  distinctively 
arctic  plants  encircle  the  globe  with  little  or  no  varia- 
tion in  form.  There  seems  to  be  no  distinct  Asia, 
Europe,  or  America,  along  those  higher  latitudes;  all 
are  alike  in  their  pitiless  cold. 

490 


CONRAD'S    BROOM   CROWBERRY 


Conrad's  Broom  Crowberry,  Corema  conradii. 

Leaves  ?J  to  ^'  long. 


CROWBERRY  FAMILY 


CONRAD'S  BROOM  CROWBERRY 

Cotema  conrddii. 
Corema,  broom,  in  allusion  to  the  bushy  habit. 

Low,  evergreen,  much  branched,  densely  leafy  ;  growing  in 
large  patches  on  rocky  or  sandy  soil.  Ranges  from  Newfound- 
land to  New  Jersey,  near  the  coast ;  has  been  reported  on  the 
Shawangunk  mountains  in  Ulster  County,  New  York. 

Leaves. — Crowded,  narrowly-linear,  three-sixteenths  to  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  long.  Thickened,  obtuse,  bright  green,  puberu- 
lent  when  young,  glabrous  when  mature.  Leaves  are  jointed  to 
short  pulvini,  and  channelled  on  the  lower  side  by  the  meeting 
of  the  revolule  margins. 

flowers. — April,  May.  Dioecious,  small,  borne  in  terminal 
heads.  Corolla  none.  Staminate  flowers  with  three  or  four 
long  exserted  purple  stamens  with  brown  anthers,  occasionally 
with  a  rudimentary  or  a  perfect  pistil.  The  pistillate  flowers 
have  a  two  to  five-celled  ovary,  a  slender  two  to  five-cleft  style, 
and  are  almost  concealed  by  the  upper  leaves. 

Fruit. — A  very  small,  globose  drupe,  nearly  dry,  usually  with 
three  nutlets. 

This  is  one  of  the  rarest  of  North  American  shrubs  ; 
as  a  matter  of  fact  it  does  not  look  very  much  like  a 
shrub,  but  wanders  over  the  ground  as  if  it  were  a 
Christmas-green  ;  and  in  the  regions  where  it  abides 
will  often  densely  cover  vast  sandy  stretches. 

The  leaf  is  apparently  linear,  but  what  has  really 
happened  is  that  each  half  of  the  leaf  has  turned  itself 
backward  until  the  opposite  edges  have  met,  and  the 
channel  at  the  back  shows  the  line  of  union.  The  well 
known  Labrador  Tea  turns  the  edges  of  its  leaves 
backward,  but  they  do  not  meet ;  in  the  Crowberries 
the  edges  meet. 

4Q2 


TAXACE.E— YEW   FAMILY 

AMERICAN    YEW.     GROUND   HEMLOCK 
Jdxus  canadtnsis. 

Taxus,  said  to  be  derived  from  taxon,  the  Greek  word 
for  bow  ;  on  account  of  the  use  made  of  the  wood  of  the 
European  species. 

Low,  straggling,  evergreen  bush,  one  to  four  feet  high,  with 
wide-spreading  branches,  common  in  northern  woods,  often 
covering  large  areas  of  low,  moist,  shaded  land.  Ranges  from 
Newfoundland  to  Lake  Winnipeg  and  southward  to  Virginia  and 
Iowa. 

Leaves.  —  Evergreen,  alternate,  linear,  sharp-pointed  ;  dis- 
posed in  asubspiral  and  appearing  two-ranked  by  the  twisting  of 
the  short  compressed  petioles.  Dark  green  above,  somewhat 
paler  beneath. 

Flowers. — Dioecious  or  monoecious,  solitary,  axillary.  Stami- 
nate-flowers  have  four  to  eight  stamens  collected  into  a  globular 
head.  Pistillate  flower  consists  of  an  erect  ovule  on  a  ring-like 
disk,  which  enlarges  as  the  fruit  matures  and  becomes  a  bright 
red  fleshy  cup,  and  nearly  encloses  the  ripe  seed. 

Fruit. — Nut-like  seed  ;  nearly  enclosed  in  a  red,  pulpy,  berry- 
like  cup. 

In  various  parts  of  the  western  counties  of  Massachusetts  occurs  a  hum- 
ble, almost  prostrate  evergreen,  conspicuous  for  the  rich  and  deep  green  of 
its  foliage.  It  is  the  American  Yew. 

— GEORGE  H.  EMERSON. 

The  Yew  at  first  sight  looks  like  a  seedling  hemlock 
that  perhaps  has  not  fared  quite  well,  and  is  inclined  to 

493 


YEW   FAMILY 


American  Yew,  Taxits  canadensis. 


EUROPEAN  YEW 

straggle  and  sprawl.  Closer  observation,  however, 
shows  a  larger,  stronger  leaf  of  darker  green,  with  its 
under  surface  a  decided  yellow  green  where  the  hem- 
lock is  glaucous  or  a  pale  blue  green.  Then,  too,  the 
Yew  leaves  break  ranks  much  oftener  than  those  of  the 
hemlock. 

In  midsummer  one  may  find,  scattered  and  solitary, 
sometimes  at  the  end  of  a  branch  and  sometimes  at 
the  side,  a  beautiful  translucent  red  berry,  the  size  of  a 
currant  or  a  trifle  larger.  When  one  examines  this 
red  berry  it  is  found  to  have  a  cylindrical  opening 
down  to  its  very  heart,  an  opening  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  across:  and  at  its  heart,  surrounded  by  all  this 
red  pulpy  protection,  is  a  dark  brown  bony  seed.  In 
taste  this  berry  is  sweetish  and  rather  insipid. 

This  little  bush  can  be  made  very  useful  in  covering 
moist  ground  which  is  well  shaded.  To  plant  it  in 
sunny  locations  is  a  mistake,  it  languishes  if  it  does 
not  die. 

EUROPEAN  YEW 
Tdxus  baccata. 

The  Yew-tree  of  the  poet  and  the  historian  is  Taxus 
baccata,  a  plant  of  wide  distribution,  found  throughout 
Europe,  save  in  the  extreme  north,  and  also  native  to 
western  Asia.  It  is  not  native  in  America,  nor  has  the 
type  ever  really  flourished  here,  though  hybrids  are 
abundant  and  fairly  hardy.  A  few  well  grown  Yew- 
trees  are  reported  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and 
Baltimore  where  they  were  planted  fully  one  hundred 
years  ago ;  but  the  climate  of  New  England  is  too 
severe  for  them,  and  they  will  grow  there  only  if  well 

495 


YEW    FAMILY 


European  Yew,  Taxus  baccata. 


EUROPEAN  YEW 

protected;  which  being  translated  means  that  they 
will  not  grow  satisfactorily  at  all. 

In  England  the  tree  usually  attains  the  height  of 
thirty  to  forty  feet  with  low  spreading  branches. 

The  English  custom  of  planting  Yews  in  church- 
yards has  never  been  satisfactorily  explained,  nor  is  it 
understood  why  the  trees  should  be  so  closely  con- 
nected with  superstitions  relating  to  ghosts  and  fairies. 
Possibly  both  may  be  of  druidical  origin.  The  fact 
that  the  leaves  are  poisonous  may  account  for  some  of 
it ;  certainly  the  belief  that  the  tree  was  noxious  was 
very  widespread. 

Shakespeare  did  not  omit  the  Yew  in  his  pictures  of 
English  life,  for  the  Clown  in  "  Twelfth  Night "  lament- 
ing the  indifference  of  his  lady-love  sings, — 

My  shroud  of  white,  stuck  all  with  yew, 
O,  prepare  it ! 

and  in  "  Macbeth  "  among  the  contents  of  the  witches' 
caldron  are, — 

*     *     *     slips  of  yew 
Slivered  in  the  moon's  eclipse. 

In  "  Richard  II."  Scroop  says  to  the  fallen  king, — 

Thy  very  beadsmen  learn  to  bend  their  bows 
Of  double-fatal  yew  against  thy  state. 

Two  garden  forms  of  Taxus  baccata  are  extensively 
planted  under  the  names  of  Irish  Yew,  Taxus  baccata 
fastigiata,  and  Japanese  Yew,  Taxus  baccata  adpressa. 
Other  forms  appear,  but  these  two  are  the  most  dis- 
tinct and  the  most  interesting. 

The  Irish  Yew  is  distinguished  by  its  erect  branches, 
which  produce  a  narrow,  compact,  cylindrical  form, 

497 


YEW    FAMILY 

sometimes  broadened  at  the  apex  in  old  age.  The 
leaves  are  not  two-ranked,  but  are  spirally  arranged, 
of  large  size  and  very  dark  green.  The  fruit  is  oblong, 
not  spherical.  All  the  individuals  of  this  variety  are 
pistillate.  The  original  plant  was  found  during  the 
last  century  on  the  mountains  of  County  Fermanagh, 
Ireland,  and  planted  in  the  garden  at  Florence  Court, 
a  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Enniskillen.  It  is  a  very  beauti- 
ful plant,  particularly  in  autumn,  when  the  dark  green 
branches  are  studded  with  scarlet  berries. 

The  Japanese  Yew  was  long  believed  to  be  of 
eastern  origin,  but  is  now  generally  supposed  to  be  a 
seedling  of  Taxus  baccata.  It  is,  however,  fair  to  say 
that  all  horticulturists  do  not  assent  to  this  opinion. 
It  is  characterized  by  its  numerous  spreading  branches 
and  its  very  short,  broad  leaves.  It,  too,  is  pistillate  and 
is  rather  hardier  than  other  allied  forms.  Varieties 
with  yellow  and  with  variegated  leaves  have  also  been 
developed. 


498 


GLOSSARY   OF   BOTANICAL   TERMS 

ACHENE. — A  dry  one-seeded  indehiscent  fruit  with  the  pericarp  fitting  close- 
ly around  the  seed. 

ACUMINATE. — Gradually  tapering  to  the  apex. 

ACUTE. — Sharp  pointed. 

ADNATE. — An  organ  adhering  to  a  contiguous  differing  one. 

ADVE.VTIVE. — Not  indigenous,  but  apparently  becoming  naturalized. 

ALTERNATE. — Applied  to  that  form  of  leaf  arrangement  in  which  only  one 
leaf  occurs  at  a  node. 

AMEXT. — A  spike  of  imperfect  flowers  subtended  by  scarious  bracts,  as  in 
willows.  Used  interchangeably  with  catkin. 

AXTHER. — The  part  of  the  stamen  which  contains  the  pollen. 

APETAI.OUS. — Without  a  corolla. 

APPRESSED. — Lying  close  and  flat  against. 

ARBORESCENT. — Tree-like  in  size  and  habit  of  growth. 

ARIL. — A  fleshy  organ  growing  at  the  point  of  attachment  of  a  seed  to  the 
pericarp. 

ASCENDING, — Growing  obliquely  upward,  or  upcurved. 

AWL-SHAPED. — Narrow  upward  from  the  base  to  a  slender  or  rigid  point. 

A\vx. — A  slender  bristle-like  organ. 

AXIL. — The  point  on  the  stem  immediately  above  the  base  of  the  leaf. 

Axis. — The  central  line  of  any  organ  or  support  of  a  group  of  organs ;  a 
stem. 

Axu.LARY.^Borne  at,  or  pertaining  to,  an  axil. 

BACCATE. — Berry-like;   pulpy. 

BEAKED. — Ending  in  a  prolonged  tip. 

BERRY. — A  fruit  whose  pericarp  is  wholly  pulpy. 

BIENNIAL. — Of  two  years'  duration. 

BIPINNATE. — Twice  pinnate. 

BLADE. — The  flat  expanded  part  of  a  leaf. 

BRACT. — A  leaf,  usually  small,  subtending  a  flower  or  flower-cluster. 

BKACTEATE. — Having  bracts. 

499 


GLOSSARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS 

BRACTLET. — A   secondary   bract,  borne  on  a  pedicel,  or  immediately  be- 
neath a  flower  ;   sometimes  applied  to  minute  bracts. 

BUD. — The  rudimentary  state  of  a  stem  or  branch  ;  an  unexpanded  flower. 
BUSH. — A   low    and   much    branched    shrub.      Used   interchangeably  with 

shrub. 

OESPITOSE. — Growing  in  tufts. 
CALYX. — The  outer  whorl  of  floral  envelopes. 
CAMPANULATE. — Bell-shaped. 

CANESCENT. — With  gray,  or  hoary,  fine  pubescence. 
CAPITATE. — Shaped  like  a  head. 
CAPSULE. — A  dry  fruit  of  two  carpels  or  more,  usually  opening  by  valves 

or  teeth. 

CARPEL. — A  simple  pistil,  or  one  member  of  a  compound  pistil. 
CATKIN. — An  ament. 
CELL. — A  cavity  of  an  anther  or  ovary. 
CILIATE. — Provided  with  marginal  hairs. 
CLEFT. — Cut  about  halfway  to  the  midvein. 
COHERE. — The  union  of  one  organ  with  another. 

COMPOUND. — Composed  of  two  or  more  similar  parts  united  into  a  whole. 
CONDUPLICATE. — Folded  lengthwise. 
COMPOUND-LEAF. — One  divided  into  separate  leaflets. 
CONNATE. — Similar  organs  more  or  less  united. 
CONNECTIVE. — The  end  of  the  filament  between  the  anther-sacs. 
CONVOLUTE. — Rolled  around  or  rolled  up  longitudinally. 
CORDATE. — Heart-shaped. 
CORIACEOUS. — Leathery  in  texture. 
COROLLA. — The  inner  whorl  of  floral  envelopes. 
CORYMB. — A  convex  or  flat-topped  flower-cluster,  of  the  racemose  type ; 

the  outer  flowers  unfold  first. 
CORYMBOSE. — Corymb-like. 
CRENATE. — Scalloped  ;  with  rounded  teeth. 
CRENULATE. — Diminutive  of  crenate. 
CROSS-FERTILIZATION. — When  the  stigma  of  one  flower  receives  the  pollen 

of  a  different  flower. 
CUNEATE. — Wedge-shaped. 
CUSPIDATE.— Sharp  pointed. 
CYME. — A  convex  or  flat  flower  cluster  in  which  the  central  flowers  unfold 

first. 

CYMOSE. — Cyme-like  ;   arranged  in  cymes. 
DECIDUOUS. — Falling  away  at  the  close  of  the  growing  period. 
DECUMBENT. — Stems  or  branches  in   an  inclined  position,  but  the  end  as. 

cending. 

500 


GLOSSARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS 

DECURRENT. — Applied  to  the  prolongation  of  an  organ,  or  part  of  an  organ 
running  along  the  sides  of  another. 

DEHISCENT. — Opening  to  emit  the  contents. 

DELTOID. — Broadly  triangular,  like  the  Greek  letter  delta. 

DENTATE. — Toothed,  especially  with  outwardly  projecting  teeth. 

DENTICULATE. — Diminuti\-e  of  dentate. 

DETERMINATE. — Limited  or  defined. 

DIFFUSE. — Loosely  spreading. 

DIOECIOUS. — Bearing  staminate  flowers  on  one  plant  and  pistillate  ones  on 
another  of  the  same  species. 

DISK. — An  enlargement  or  prolongation  of  the  receptacle  of  a  flower  around 
the  base  of  the  pistil. 

DISTINCT. — Separate  from  each  other. 

DRUPE. — A  simple  fruit,  usually  indehiscent,  with  fleshy  exocarp  and  bony 
endocarp. 

DRUPELET. — Diminutive  of  drupe. 

ECH I  NATE.  — Prickly. 

ELLIPTIC. — With  the  outline  of  an  ellipse  ;  oval. 

E.MARGINATE. — Notched  at  the  apex. 

ENUOCARP. — The  inner  layer  of  the  pericarp. 

ENTIRE. — Without  divisions,  lobes  or  teeth.  LTsed  largely  with  regard  to 
margins  of  leaves,  petals  and  sepals. 

EPIGYNOUS. — Adnate  to  or  borne  on  the  upper  part  of  the  ovary. 

EROSE. — Irregularly  margined,  as  if  gnawed. 

EVERGREEN. — Bearing  green  leaves  throughout  the  year. 

EXFOLIATING. — Peeling  off  in  layers. 

EXOCARP. — The  outer  layer  of  the  pericarp. 

EXSERTED. — Prolonged  past  surrounding  organs. 

EXSTRORSE. — Facing  outward. 

FALCATE. — Scythe-shaped. 

FERTILE. — Capable  of  producing  fruit. 

FERTILIZATION. — The  union  which  takes  place  when  the  contents  of  the 
pollen  cell  enters  the  ovule. 

FILAMENT. — The  stalk  of  an  anther,  the  two  forming  a  stamen  ;  any  thread- 
like body. 

FOLLICLE. — A  fruit  consisting  of  a  simple  carpel  opening  by  the  ventral 
suture. 

FRUIT. — The  seed-bearing  product  of  a  plant,  simple,  compound,  or  aggre- 
gated, of  whatever  form. 

FUGACIOUS. — Falling  soon  after  development. 

FUGITIVE. — Plants  not  native,  but  occurring  here  and  there  without  direct 
evidence  of  being  established. 

501 


GLOSSARY   OF    BOTANICAL   TERMS 

GAMOPETALOUS. — With  petals  more  or  less  united. 

GAMOSEPALOUS. — With  sepals  more  or  less  united. 

GENUS,  //.  GENERA. — When  several  species  resemble  each  other  so  distinctly 
that  their  general  characters  indicate  relationship,  the  group  is  called  a 
genus. 

GIBBOUS. — Enlarged  or  swollen  on  one  side. 

Gi-ABRATE. — Nearly,  or  without  hairs. 

GLABROUS. — Devoid  of  hairs. 

GLAND. — A  secreting  cell  or  group  of  cells;  any  protuberance  or  append- 
age having  the  appearance  of  such  an  organ. 

GLANDULAR. — Bearing  glands  or  gland-like. 

GLAUCOUS. — Covered  with  a  bluish-white  or  white  bloom;  hoary. 

GLOBOSE. — Globular,  spherical  or  nearly  so. 

HABIT. — The  general  appearance  of  a  plant. 

HABITAT. — A  plant's  natural  place  of  growth. 

HEART-SHAPED. — As  applied  to  leaves  it  means  a  sinus  more  or  less  deep 
where  the  petiole  meets  the  blade. 

HEAD. — A  dense  round  cluster  of  sessile  or  nearly  sessile  flowers. 

HIRSUTE. — With  rather  coarse  stiff  hairs. 

HISPID. — With  stiff  bristly  hairs. 

HISPIDULOUS. — Diminutive  of  hispid. 

HOARY. — Grayish-white  with  fine  close  pubescence. 

HYBRID. — Across  between  two  species. 

HYPOGYNOUS. — Situated  on  the  receptacle,  beneath  the  ovary  and  free  from 
it  and  from  the  calyx. 

IMBRICATE. — Overlapping. 

INCISED. — Cut  into  sharp  lobes. 

INCLUDED. — Not  projecting  beyond  surrour.cii  j  parts. 

INDEFINITE. —  In  regard  to  stamens  ;  inconstant  in  number  or  very  numer- 
ous. 

INDIGENOUS. — Native  and  original  to  the  country. 

INDEHISCENT. — Not  opening  to  emit  the  contents. 

INFERIOR. — Lower  or  below.  Inferior  ovary,  one  that  is  adnate  to  the 
calyx. 

INFLATED. — Bladdery. 

INFLORESCENCE. — The  flowering  part  of  a  plant,  and  especially  its  mode  of 
arrangement. 

INFRA. — In  composition,  below;  infrastipular,  below  the  stipules. 

INSERTED. — Attached  to  or  growing  out  of . 

INTER  OR  INTRA. — In  composition,  between. 

INTERNODE. — Portion  of  stem  or  branch  between  two  successive  nodes. 

INTRORSE. — Facing  inward  ;   applied  to  stamens  that  face  toward  the  pistil. 

502 


GLOSSARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS 

INVOLUCRE. — A  whorl  of  bracts,  subtending  a  flower  or  flower  cluster. 

INVOLUTE. — Rolled  inward. 

IRREGULAR  (FLOWER). — Showing  inequality  in  the  size,  form  or  union  of 
its  similar  parts. 

KEEL. — A  central  dorsal  ridge  ;  the  two  anterior  united  petals  of  a  papilio- 
naceous flower. 

LANCEOLATE. — Considerably  longer  than  broad,  tapering  upward  from  the 
middle  or  below. 

LEAFLET. — One  of  the  divisions  of  a  compound  leaf. 

LEGUME. — A  simple  dry  fruit,  dehiscent  along  both  sutures;  is  the  charac- 
teristic fruit  of  the  Pea  Family. 

LIMB. — The  expanded  part  of  a  petal,  sepal  or  gamopetalous  corolla. 

LINEAR. — Elongated,  narrow  with  sides  nearly  parallel. 

LIP. — Each  of  the  upper  and  lower  divisions  of  a  bilabiate  corolla  or  calyx. 

LOBE. — Any  segment  of  an  organ. 

LOBED. — Divided  into  lobes. 

MESOCARP. — The  middle  layer  of  a  pericarp. 

MIDVEIN. — The  central  vein  or  rib  of  a  leaf  or  other  organ. 

MONADELPHOUS. —  Applied  to  stamens  united  by  their  filaments  into  a  tube 
or  column. 

MONCECIOUS. — With  stamens  and  pistils  in  separate  flowers  on  the  same 
plant. 

MUCRONAI  E. — With  a  short,  sharp,  abrupt  tip. 

NAKED. — Lacking  organs  or  parts  which  are  normally  present  in  related 
species. 

NATURALIZED. — Plants  not  indigenous  to  the  region,  but  so  firmly  estab- 
lished as  to  have  become  part  of  the  flora. 

NODE. — The  place  upon  a  stem  which  normally  bears  a  leaf  or  a  whorl  of 
leaves. 

NUT. — An  indehiscent  one-seeded  fruit  with  a  hard  or  bony  pericarp. 

NUTLET. — Diminutive  of  nut. 

OBCOMC. — Inversely  cone-shaped. 

OBCORDATE. — Inversely  heart-shaped. 

OBLANCEOLATE. — Inversely  lanceolate. 

OBLONG. — Considerably  longer  than  broad  and  with  nearly  parallel  sides. 

OBOVATE. — Inversely  ovate. 

OBTUSE. — Blunt  or  rounded  at  the  end. 

ORBICULAR. — Approximately  circular. 

OVAL. — Broadly  elliptical. 

OVARY. — The  ovule-bearing  part  of  the  pistil. 

OVATE. — In  outline  like  a  longitudinal  section  of  a  hen's  egg. 

OVULE. — The  rudimentary  seed. 

503 


GLOSSARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS 

PALMATE. — Diverging  radiately  like  the  fingers. 

PANICLE.- — A  compound  flower-cluster  of  the  racemose  type. 

PANICULATE. — Borne  in  or  resembling  a  panicle. 

PAPILIONACEOUS. — Term  applied  to  the  irregular  flowers  of  the  Pea  Family. 

PAPPUS. — Down,  as  that  on  the  seeds  of  some  plants. 

PARASITIC. — Growing  upon  other  plants  and  absorbing  their  juices. 

PEDICEL. — The  stem  of  a  flower  in  a  flower  cluster. 

PEDUNCLE. — Stem  of  a  flower,  or  of  a  flower  cluster. 

PERFECT. — Flowers  with  both  stamens  and  pistils. 

PERIANTH. — The  floral  envelopes, — sepals  and  petals,  considered  collec- 
tively. 

PERICARP. — The  walls  of  the  ripened  ovary,  the  part  of  the  fruit  that  en- 
closes the  seeds. 

PERIGYNOUS. — Borne  on  the  perianth,  around  the  ovary. 

PERSISTENT.  —  Organs  remaining  attached  to  those  bearing  them,  after  the 
growing  period. 

PETAL. — One  of  the  leaves  of  the  corolla. 

PETALOID. — Similar  to  petals. 

PETIOLE. — The  stem  of  the  leaf. 

PINNA,  pi.  PINN/E. — A  primary  division  of  a  pinnately  compound  leaf. 

PINNATE. — Leaves  divided  into  leaflets  or  segments  on  each  side  of  a  com- 
mon axis. 

PISTIL. — The  seed-bearing  organ  of  the  flower,  consisting  of  the  ovary, 
stigma,  and  style  when  present. 

PISTILLATE. — With  pistils,  usually  in  the  sense  of  without  stamens. 

PLICATE. — Folded  into  plaits  like  a  fan. 

POD. — Any  dry  and  dehiscent  fruit. 

POLLEN. — The  fertilizing  grains  contained  in  the  anther. 

POLYGAMOUS. — Applied  to  plants  which  produce  staminate,  pistillate  and 
perfect  flowers  all  on  the  same  plant. 

POME. — The  fleshy  fruit  of  the  Apple  Family. 

PRICKLE. — A  slender  sharp  outgrowth  from  the  bark  of  a  plant 

PROCUMBENT. — Trailing  or  lying  on  the  ground. 

PUBESCENT. — Downy,  covered  with  soft  hairs. 

PUNCTATE. — With  translucent  dots  or  pits. 

PYRIFORM. — Pear-shaped. 

RACEME. — A  simple  inflorescence  of  pedicelled  flowers  upon  a  common, 
more  or  less  elongated  axis. 

RACEMOSE. — Resembling  a  raceme. 

RACHIS. — The  axis  of  a  compound  leaf  or  of  a  spike  or  raceme. 

RADIANT. — With  the  marginal  flowers  enlarged. 

RECEPTACLE. — The  end  of  the  flower  stalk  bearing  the  floral  organs. 

504 


GLOSSARY  OF  BOTANICAL  TERMS 

REFLEXED. — Bent  backward  abruptly. 

REGULAR. — Uniform  in  shape  or  structure. 

REPAXD. — With  slightly  uneven  and  somewhat  sinuate  margin. 

RETICULATE. — In  the  form  of  a  network. 

RETRORSE. — Facing  outward;   applied  to  stamens  that  face  away  from  the 

pistil. 

RE  VOLUTE. — Rolled  backwards. 
ROOT. — The  underground  part  of  a  plant  which  supplies  it  with  nourish. 

ment. 

ROSTRATE. — Having  a  beak. 
ROTATE. — With  a  flat,  circular,  corolla  limb. 
SALVER-SHAPED. — Having  a  slender  tube  abruptly  expanded  into  a  flat  limb 

or  border. 

SAMARA. — An  tndehiscent  winged  fruit. 
SEED. — The  ripened  ovule. 
SECUND. — Borne  along  one  side  of  an  axis. 
SEGMENT. — A  division  of  a  leaf  or  fruit. 
SEPAL. — One  of  the  leaves  of  a  calyx. 
SERRATE. — With  teeth  projecting  forward. 
SERRULATE. — Diminutive  of  serrate. 
SESSILE. — Without  a  stalk. 

SILKY. — Covered  with  close-pressed,  soft  and  straight  pubescence. 
SIMPLE. — As  applied  to  leaves;  in  one  piece,  undivided. 
SINUATE. — With  wavy  margins. 
SINUS. — The  cleft  between  two  lobes. 
SMOOTH. — Without  irregularities  ;   destitute  of  hairs. 
SPORT. — A  sudden  variation  from  the  normal  type  of  structure. 
SPECIES. — A  group  of  individuals  which  possess  in  common  such  a  number 

of  constant  characters  ihat  they  may  be  considered  to  be  descended  from 

a  common  ancestral  form. 
SPIKE. — An  elongated  flower  cluster. 

SPINE. — A  sharp  woody  or  rigid  outgrowth  from  the  stem. 
SPRAY. — The  ultimate  division  of  a  branch. 
STAMEN. — The  organ  of  the  flower  that  bears  the  pollen. 
STANDARD. — The  upper  dilated  petal  of  a  papilionaceous  corolla. 
STELI.ATE. — Star-like. 

STERILE. — Unproductive  ;  as  a  flower  without  pistil  or  stamen  without  an- 
ther. 
STIGMA. — The  summit  or  side  of  the  pistil  to  which  the  pollen  grains  become 

attached. 

STIPULATE. — With  stipules. 
STIPULE. — Appendages  at  the  base  of  a  petiole,  often  adnate  to  it. 

505 


GLOSSARY   OF   BOTANICAL   TERMS 

STOLON. — A  runner  ;   or  any  basal  branch  that  is  disposed  to  root. 
STOMATA,  pi. — The  transpiring  orifices  in  the  epidermis  of  plants. 
STRIATE. — Marked  with  fine  longitudinal  lines  or  ridges. 
STROBILE. — A  compact    flower   cluster   with   large    scales,  concealing   the 

flowers.     When   this   cluster    matures   and  contains    seeds,    it  is   still 

called  a  strobile. 
STYLE. — The  attenuated  portion  of  the  pistil  connecting  the  stigma  and  the 

ovary. 

SUTURE. — A  line  of  splitting  or  opening. 
TERETE. — Circular  in  cross  section. 
THROAT. — The  part  between  the  proper  tube  and  the  limb  of  a  gamopetal- 

ous  corolla. 

THYRSE,  OR  THYRSUS. — A  compact  panicle. 
TOMENTOSE. — Covered  with  tomentum. 
TOMENTUM. — Dense,  matted  wool-like  hairs. 
TRUNCATE. — Ending  abruptly  as  if  cut  off. 
UMBEL. — A  flower  cluster,  flat  or  convex,  with  all  the  pedicels  arising  from 

the  same  point. 

UMBELLATE. — Borne  in  umbels  ;   resembling  an  umbel. 
UNDULATE. — With  wavy  margins. 

VALVATE. — Meeting  by  the  margins  ;   not  overlapping. 
VEIN. — One  of  the  branches  of  the  woody  portion  of  leaves  or  other  organs. 
VEINLET. — A  branch  of  a  vein. 
VENATION. — Arrangement  of  veins. 
VERNATION. — The  arrangement  of  leaves  in  the  bud. 

VERSATILE. — Applied  to  an  anther  attached  at  or  near  its  middle  to  the  fila- 
ment. 

VILLOUS. — Covered  with  long,  soft,  shaggy  hairs. 
WHORL. — A  group  of  three  or  more  similar  organs  at  a  node. 
WING. — Any  thin  expansion  bordering  or  surrounding  an  organ.   The  lateral 

petal  of  a  papilionaceous  corolla. 
WOOLLY. — Clothed  with  long  and  matted  hairs. 


506 


GLOSSARY   OF   LATIN   SPECIFIC   TERMS 

THE  scientific  name  of  a  plant  consists  of  two  Latin 
words.  The  first  names  the  genus  and  is  a  noun  ;  the 
second  which  indicates  the  species  is  an  adjective.  If 
there  is  a  second  adjective  it  indicates  a  variety. 

The  names  of  the  genera  often  emphasize  a  charac- 
ter belonging  to  the  entire  plant-group,  are  frequently 
ancient,  sometimes  fanciful,  and  now  and  then  immor- 
talize a  man's  name. 

The  specific  terms  are  intended  to  point  out  some 
distinctive  peculiarity  of  the  plant.  These  are  all  in 
Latin  form  ;  in  the  main  they  consist  of  correct  or  cor- 
rupted Latin  adjectives,  Greek  derivatives,  and  Latin- 
ized proper  names.  The  endings  of  course  vary  with 
the  gender  of  the  generic  noun.  If  a  surname  is  used 
to  designate  a  species  it  is  usually  put  into  the  geni- 
tive case. 

acerifolium — maple-leaved.  alternifolia — alternate-leaved, 

"acuminate — pointed.  americanus-a-um — American, 

adenophylla—  furry-leaved.  amomum  —  referring    to    the    acrid 

adpressed — pressed  together.  seeds  of  the  plant.     A  name  of 

alba — white.  an  East  Indian  genus, 

allegheniensis — growing  in  the    Al-      amygdalus — almond. 

leghanies.  angustifolia — narrow-leaved, 

alnifolia-um — alder-leaved.  apiifolia — celery-leaved, 

alnobetula — alder-birch.  aquifolium — holly-leaved, 

alpina — alpine.  arborescens — tree-like. 

507 


GLOSSARY   OF    LATIN   SPECIFIC   TERMS 


arbutifolia — arbutus-leaved, 
argentea — silvery, 
argutus — sharp. 

arkansana — belonging  to  Arkansas, 
aromatica — aromatic, 
asperifolia — rough-leaved, 
asplenifolia — leaf  like  that  of  a  fern, 
atropurpureus — dark-purple. 

baccata — berry-like, 
balsamifera — bearing  balsam, 
blanda — smooth,  charming, 
botriapium — grape-pear, 
brachycera  —  short-horned  ;  without 

wax. 
buxifolium — box-leaved. 

caespitosum  —  tufted,     growing    in 

mats. 

calendulacea — yellow, 
calyculata — having  bracts  around  the 

calyx,  imitating  an  outer  calyx, 
canadensis — Canadian. 
Candida — white,  hoary, 
candidissima — most  white, 
canina — canine. 

canescens — downy  with  white  hairs, 
carolinensis — Carolinian, 
cassinoides — helmet-like, 
cathartica — purging, 
cerifera — producing  wax. 
ciliate  —  marginally    fringed     with 

hairs. 

circinata — round-leaved, 
cneorum — ancient  generic  name, 
coccinea — scarlet, 
coerulea — blue, 
colchica — from  Colchis, 
copallina — producing  gum-copal, 
concinna — neat, 
conspicua — observed,  showy, 
cordata — heart-shaped. 


coronanus — wearing  a  crown, 
corymbosum — corymbed. 
cuneata — wedge-shaped, 
cynosbati — dogberry. 
crux  andreae — St.  Andrew's-cross. 

densiflorum — densely-flowered. 

dentatum — toothed. 

discolor— two-colored. 

dumosa — found  in  thickets,  bushy. 

ericoides — heath-like. 

fascicularis — tufted,  or  in  fascicles, 
fastigiata — with  branches  erect   an: 

parallel. 

fertilis — fruitful, 
flavescens — yellow, 
floridus-a-um — flowering, 
floribunda — with  abundant  flowers, 
frangula — breaking, 
frondosus-a — leafy, 
fruticosa — bushy. 

gale — myrtle  bush, 
glabra — without  hairs, 
glandulosa — glandular, 
glauca — whitish, 
glaucophylla — white-leaved. 
gracilis — slender, 
grandiflorus-a-um — great-flowered 
groenlandicum — Greenland, 
grossularia — rough. 

halimifolia — halimus-leaved. 
hispidula — with  minute  hairs, 
hispidus — with  rigid  hairs, 
humilis — low. 

hypericoides — hypericum-like. 
hypnoides — -narcotic. 


incana — hoary, 
involucrata — involucred. 


508 


GLOSSARY   OF    LATIN   SPECIFIC   TERMS 


j  aponica —Japanese. 

laciniata — cut  into  pointed  lobes, 
lacustre — by  the  lake, 
laevigata — smooth-leaved, 
lanceolata — lance-shaped, 
lantana — viburnum, 
lantanoides — lantana-like. 
latifolia — broad-leaved, 
ligustrina — flexible,  privet-leaved, 
longipes — long- stemmed, 
lucida — shining-leaved, 
lutea — yellow. 

macrostachya — great-spiked, 
mariana — Maryland, 
maritima — growing  by  the  sea. 
maximum — greatest, 
microcarpus-a — small-fruited, 
mollis — soft. 

mucronata — bristle-pointed, 
myrtilloides — myrtle-like. 

nana — dwarf. 

nigrobaccus — blackberry. 

nigrum-a — black. 

nitida — shining. 

nudum — bare,  naked. 

nudiflora — flowers  without  leaves. 

occidentalis — western, 
oblongifolia — oblong-leaved, 
obovatus-a-um — obovate. 
odoratus-a — fragrant, 
oligocarpa — short-carpeled. 
opulifolius — opulus-leaved. 
opulus — cranberry, 
oxyacanthoides — short-spined. 

palustris — growing  in  the  marsh, 
paniculata — bearing  panicles, 
parvifolia — small-leaved. 


paucifolium — few-leaved. 

pennsylvanicum — 1'ennsylvanian. 

pentagyna — five-fruited. 

peregrina — spreading,  wandering. 

petiolaris — petiolate. 

pilosa — downy,  with  silky  hairs. 

polifolia — many-leaved. 

pontica — by  the  sea. 

procumbens — trailing. 

prolificum — prolific. 

prostratum — prostrate. 

prunifolium — plum-leaved. 

pubens — downy. 

pubescens — downy,  with  soft,   short 

hairs. 

pumilis-a — Jow,  dwarf, 
purpurea — purple, 
pyracanthus — fire-blossom. 

racemosus-a — bearing  racemes, 
radicans — striking  root, 
repens — creeping, 
resinosa — resinous, 
rosea— rose-colored, 
rostrata — beaked, 
rotundifolium-a  — round-leaved, 
rubiginosa — rusty, 
rubrum — red. 
rugosa — wrinkled. 

salicifolia — willow-leaved, 
sanguinea — bloody, 
scabra — rough  to  the  touch, 
sericea — silky. 

serpyllifolia— wild-thyme-leaved, 
serrulata — serrate  or  serrulate, 
setigera— bristly, 
spicata — pointed, 
spinosa — spiny, 
stamineum — long-stemmed, 
stans — erect,  standing  firm, 
stellata — star-like. 


«,OQ 


GLOSSARY   OF    LATIN    SPECIFIC    TERMS 


stolonifera — producing  stolons, 
strigosus — rough,  scraggly,  meagre, 
suspensa — drooping. 

taxifolius — yew-leaved, 
tinctoria — capable  of  coloring, 
tomentosa — woolly,  covered  with  to- 

mentum. 

toxicodendron — poison-tree, 
trifoliata — three-leaved, 
trifida — three-cleft, 
trilobata — three-lobed. 
tripetala — three-petaled. 
tristis — sad-colored,  gray. 

uliginosum — growing  in,mud. 
umbellata — bearing  umbels, 
uva  ursi — bearberry. 


vacillans — unstable,  unsteady, 
venenata — poisonous, 
vernix — varnish, 
verticillata — whorled. 
villosus — downy, 
virginiana — Virginian, 
virginica — Virginian, 
viridis — gEeen. 
viscosa — clammy. 

vitis   idaea — ancient  name  of  doubt- 
ful meaning, 
vulgaris-e — common. 

wichuraiana  —  given  in  honor  of 
Wichuray,  a  Russian  bota- 
nist. 

xylosteum — bony  wood,  hard-wood. 


510 


INDEX   OF   LATIN   NAMES 


JESCVLUS  MACROSTACHVA,  7! 

^Esculus  parviflora,  71 
AInus  alnobetula,  468 
Alnus  incana,  460 
Alnus  rugosa,  464 
Alnus  serrulata,  464 
Alnus  viridis.  468 
Amelanchier  botriapium,  192 
Amelanchier  canadensis,  194 
Amelanchier  oligocarpa.  196 
Amelanchier  rotundifolia,  196 
Amelanchier  spicata,  196 
Amorpha  canescens,  98 
Amorpha  fruticosa,  95 
Amorpha  nana,  100 
Anacardiaceae,  78 
Andromeda  calyculata,  390 
Andromeda  ligustrina.  388 
Andromeda  polifolia,  380 
Arctostaphylos  uva-ursi,  396 
Aronia  arbutifolia,  187 
Aronia  atropurpurea,  190 
Aronia  nigra.  190 
Ascyrum  crux-andreas,  28 
Ascyrum  hypericoides,  28 
Ascyrum  stans.  28 
Azalea  arborescens,  354 
Azalea  calendulacea,  352 
Azalea  canescens,  350 
Azalea  lutea,  352 
Azalea  mollis,  358 
Azalea  nudiflora,  346 
Azalea  pontica,  358 
Azalea  viscosa,  354 


BACCHARIS  HALIMIFOLIA,  3"' 
Benzoin  benzoin,  415 
Berberidacea;,  12 
Berberis  aquifolium,  16 
Berberis  canadensis,  14 
Berberis  concinna,  16 
Berberus  vulgaris.  12 
Betula  glandulosa,  458 
Betula  humilis,  456 
Betula  pumila,  456 
Betulacea;,  449 
Butneria  fertilis,  206 
Butneria  florida,  203 
Byranthus  taxifolius,  374 

CALLUNA  VULOARIS,  400 
Calycanthus  floridus,  203 
Calycanthaceae,  203 
Caprifoliacere.  262 
Cassandra  calyculata,  390 
Cassiope  hypnoides,  375 
Castanea  pumila,  446 
Ceanothus  americanus,  68 
Ceanothus  ovatus,  70 
CelastracciB.  58 
Cephalanthus  occidental!*,  308 
Chamsecistus  procumbt- ns,  367 
Chama;daphne  cahculata,  390 
Chiogenes  hispidula.  341 
Chiogenes  serpyllifolia.  341 
Cistaceae,  19 
Clethra  alnifolia.  402 
Clethraceae,  402 
Composita:,  311 


INDEX   OF    LATIN    NAMES 


Comptonia  peregrina,  443 
Corchorus,  134 
Corema  conradii,  492 
Cornaceae,  241 
Cornus  alba,  242,  258 
Cornus  alternifolia,  242,  256 
Cornus  amomum,  248 
Cornus  asperifolia,  250 
Cornus  baileyi,  256 
Cornus  candidissima,  254 
Cornus  circinata,  246 
Cornus  florida,  244 
Cornus  paniculata,  254 
Cornus  sanguinea,  258 
Cornus  sericea,  248 
Cornus  stolonifera,  252 
Corylus  americana,  449 
Corylus  rostrata,  454 
Cotmus  cotinus,  90 
Cotinus  cotinoides,  92 
Cotoneaster  pyracantha,  198 
Cydonia  japonica,  200 

DAPHNE  CNEORUM,  424 
Daphne  mezereum,  422 
Dendrium  buxifolium,  366 
Deutzia  candidissima,  220 
Deutzia  gracilis,  217 
Deutzia  purpurea  plena,  220 
Deutzia  scabra,  217 
Diervilla  diervilla,  304 
Diervilla  trifida,  304 
Diervilla  rosea,  306 
Dirca  palustris,  419 
Drupaceas,  107 


427 

Elaeagnus  angusti^olia,  428 
Elaeagnus  argentea,  427 
Elasagnus  longipes,  428 
Elasagnus  umbellata,  428 
Emp^tracese,  488 
Empetrum  nigrum,  488 
Epigasa  repens,  392 
Ericaceae,  343 
Euonymus  americanus,  60 
Euonymus  atropurpureus,  61 


Euonymus  obovatus,  58 
Exochorda  grandiflora,  132 

FAGACE^E,  446 
Forsythia  europasa,  413 
Forsythia  fortunei,  413 
Forsythia  intermedia,  413 
Forsythia  seiboldi,  413 
Forsythia  suspensa,  413 
Forsythia  viridissima,  412 

GAULTHERIA  PROCVMBENS,  395 
Gaylussacia  brachycera,  323 
Gaylussacia  dumosa,  322 
Gaylussacia  frondosa,  318 
Gaylussacia  resinosa,  320 
Genista  tinctoria,  ico 
Gordonia  altamaha,  34 
Gordonia  pubescens,  34 
Grossulariaceas,  224 

HAMAMELIDAC.E,  238 
Hamamelis  virginiana,  238 
Hibiscus  syriacus,  36 
Hippocastanaceas,  71 
Hudsonia  ericoides.  22 
Hudsonia  tomentosa,  19 
Hydrangea  arborescens,  208 
Hydrangea  paniculata  grandiflora,  21 
Hydrangeaceae,  208 
Hypericaceae,  23 
Hypericum  densifiorum,  24 
Hypericum  kalmianum,  26 
Hypericum  prolificum,  23 

ILEX  GLABRA,  54 
Ilex  laevigata,  52 
Ilex  verticillata,  48 
Ilicineas,  48 

Ilicioides  mucronata,  56 
Itea  virginica,  221 
Iteaceas,  221 

KALMIA  ANGUSTIFOLIA,  370 
Kalmia  glauca,  372 
Kalmia  latifolia,  367 
Kerria  japonica,  134 


512 


INDEX   OF    LATIN    NAMES 


LABURNUM  VULGARE,  103 
Lauraceae,  415 
Ledum  groenlandicum,  343 
Ledum  latifolium,  343 
Leiophyllum  buxifolium,  366 
Lepargyrsea  argentea,  430 
Lepargyraea  canadensis,  432 
Leucothoe  catesbaci,  378 
Leucothoe  racemosa,  375 
Ligustrum  vulgare,  410 
Lindera  benzoin,  415 
Lonicera  canadensis,  298 
Lonicera  ciliaia,  298 
Lonicera  ccerulra,  296 
Lonic«-ra  involucrata,  302 
Lonicera  oblongifolia,  294 
Lonicera  tartarica,  300 
Lonicera  xylosteum,  292 
Loranthaceae,  434 
Lyonia  ligustrina,  388 

MAGNOLIA  ACUMINATA,  n 
Magnolia  conspicua,  6 
Magnolia  discolor,  8 
Magnolia  kobus,  10 
Magnolia  lennei,  8 
Magnolia  obovata,  8 
Magnolia  pttrpurea,  8 
Magnolia  soulangeana,  8 
Magnolia  stellata,  8 
Magnolia  tripetala,  n 
Magnoliaceae,  6 
Mahonia  aquifolia,  16 
Mairania  alpina,  400 
Malvaceae   36 
Menziesia  pilosa,  364 
Michella  repens.  396 
Myrica  asplenifulia,  443 
Myrica  carolinensis,  440 
Myrica  cerifera,  440 
Myrica  gale,  437 
Myricaceae,  437 

NRMOPANTHKS  FASCICULARIS,  56 

OI.RAC.  K,  406 
Opulaster  opulifolius,  129 


Oxycoccus  macrocarpus,  341 
Oxycoccus  oxycoccus,  342 

PAPILIONACE.T.,  94 
Philadelphia  coronarius,  212 
Philadelphia  grandiflorus,  216 
Philadelphia  inodorus,  216 
Phoradendron  flavescens,  434 
Phyllodoce  coerulea,  374 
Physocarpos  opulifolius,  129 
Pieris  floribunda,  384 
Pieris  mariana,  386 
Polycodium  stamineum,  340 
Pomaceae,  187 
Potentilla  fruticosa,  161 
Prinos  verticillata,  50 
Pyracantha  coccinea,  198 
Prunus  amygdalus,  114 
Prunus  cuneata,  112 
Prunus  gravesii,  no 
Prunus  japonica,  114 
Prunus  maiitima,  108 
Prunus  nana,  114 
Prunus  pumila,  no 
Prunus  spinosa,  no 
Prunus  virginiana,  112 
Ptelea  trifoliata,  45 
Pyrus  japonica,  200 

RANUNCULACE-JE,  3 
Rhamnaceae,  62 
Rhamnus  alnifolia,  62 
Rhamrtus  cathartica,  64 
Rhamnus  frangula,  68 
Rhamnus  lanceolata,  62 
Rhododendron  maximum,  362 
Rhododendron  lapponicum,  364 
Rhodora  canadensis,  360 
Rhus  aromatica,  88 
Rhus  canadensis,  88 
Rhus  copallina,  80 
Rhus  glabra.  78 
Rhus  microcarpa,  86 
Rhus  radicans,  84 
Rhus  trilobata,  90 
Rhus  toxicodendron,  84 
Rhus  venenata,  82 


513 


INDEX    OF    LATIN    NAMES 


Rhus  vernix,  82 

Ribes  americanum,  233 

Ribes  aureum,  235 

Ribes  cynosbati,  224 

Ribes  floridum,  233 

Ribes  grossularia,  228 

Ribes  lacustre,  231 

Ribes  nigrum,  235 

Ribes  oxyacanthoides,  229 

Ribes  prostratum,  231 

Ribes  rotundifolium,  228 

Ribes  rubrum,  232 

Ribes  uva-crispa,  228 

Robinia  hispida,  103 

Rosa  arkansana,  168 

Rosa  blanda,  167 

Rosa  canina,  181 

Rosa  Carolina,  170 

Rosa  humilis,  173 

Rosa  lucida,  176 

Rosa  nitida,  176 

Rosa  rubiginosa,  178 

Rosa  rugosa,  184 

Rosa  setigera,  164 

Rosa  wichuraiana,  184 

Rosaceae,  118 

Rubiaceae,  308 

Rubus  allegheniensis,  156 

Rubus  argutus,  154 

Rubus  canadensis,  154 

Rubus  frondosus,  154 

Rubus  hispidus,  158 

Rubus  millspaughii,  154 

Rubus  nigrobaccus,  146 

Rubus  occidentalis,  143 

Rubus  odoratus,  137 

Rubus  procumbens,  158 

Rubus  randii,  153 

Rubus  strigosus,  140 

Rubus  villosus,  146 

Rubus  villosus  montanus,  156 

Rutaceas,  43 

SALICACE.*:,  469 
Salix  adenophylla,  477 
Salix  balsamifera,  472 
Salix  Candida,  484 


Salix  cordata,  476 
Salix  discolor,  470 
Salix  glaucophylla,  474 
Salix  humilis,  478 
Salix  myrtilloides,  478 
Salix  petiolaris,  486 
Salix  sericea,  486 
Salix  tristis,  482 
Sambucus  canadensis,  262 
Sambucus  pubens,  266 
Sambucus  racemosa,  266 
Saxifragaceae,  217 
Shepherdia  argentea,  430 
Shepherdia  canadensis,  432 
Spiraea  anthony-waterer,  126 
Spiraea  prunifolia,  126 
Spiraea  salicifolia,  118 
Spiraea  thunbergii,  125 
Spiraea  tomentosa,  120 
Spiraea  vanhouttei,  126 
Staphylea  colchica,  76 
Staphylea  trifolia,  74 
Staphyleaceae,  74 
Stuartia  pentagyna,  31 
Symphoricarpos  racemosus,  287 
Symphoricarpos  symphoricarpos, 
Symphoricarpos  vulgaris,  290 
Syringa  alba,  408 
Syringa  josikaea,  408    • 
Syringa  laciniata,  408 
Syringa  persica,  408 
Syringa  vulgaris,  406 

TAMARISCE^E,  39 
Tamarix,  39 
Taxaceae,  493 
Taxus  baccata,  495 
Taxus  canadensis,  493 
Theacese,  31 
Thymeleaceae,  419 

VACCINIACE^:,  315 
Vaccinium  caespitosum,  334 
Vaccinium  canadensis,  326 
Vaccinium  corymbosum.  329 
Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum,  324 
Vaccinium  stamineum,  340 


290 


514 


Vaccinium 
Vaccmium 
Vaccinium 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 
Viburnum 


uliginosum,  334 
vacillans,  328 
vitis-idasa,  335 
acerifolium,  278 
alnifolium,  270 
cassinoides,  284 
dentatum,  282 
lantana,  285 
lantanoides,  270 
molle,  284 
nudum,  285 


INDEX   OF   LATIN   NAMES 

Viburnum  opulus,  273 
Viburnum  opulus  sterilis,  276 
Viburnum  pubescens,  280 
Viburnum  paucifolium,  276 
Vitis-idata  vitis-idaea,  335 

WEIGELA,  306 

XANTHORRHIZA  APIIFOLIA,  3 
Xanthoxylum  americanum,  43 
Xolisma  ligustrina,  388 


515 


INDEX  OF   ENGLISH   NAMES 


ACACIA,  ROSE,  104 
Alder,  460 

Black,  48 

Green.  468 

Hoary,  460 

Mountain,  468 

Smooth,  464 

Speckled,  460 

White,  402 

Allspice,  Carolina,  203,  415 
Almond,  Flowering,  114 
Althaea,  Shrubby,  36 
Amorpha,  Dosvny,  98 
Andromeda,  Privet,  388 
Apple  Family,  187 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  392 
Arrow- wood,  278,  282 
Ash,  43 

Prickly,  43 

Wafer,  45 
Azalea,  346 

Alpine,  367 

Clammy,  354 

Cultivated,  357 

Flaming,  352 

Mountain,  350 

Pink,  346 

Smooth.  354 

Trailing.  367 

Tree.  354 

White,  354 

BARBERRY  FAMILY,  12 
Barberry.  12 

American,  14 

Common,  12 
Bay,  362 

Lapland  Rose,  364 

Rose,  362 


Bayberry  Family,  437 
Bayberry,  440 
Bearberry,  396 

Alpine,  400 

Black,  400 

Red,  396 

Beech  Family,  446 
Benjamin-bush,  415 
Bilberry,  Bog,  334 
Bilberry,  Dwarf,  334 
Birch  Family,  449 
Birch,  456 

Bog,  456 

Dwarf,  458 

Glandular,  458 

Low,  456 
Blackberry,  146 

High-bush,  146 

Leafy-bracted,  154 

Leafy-cluster,  154 

Low  Running,  158 

Millspaugh's,  154 

Mountain,  156 

Rand's,  153 

Running  Ssvamp,  158 

Thornless,  154 
Black-cap,  143 
Blackthorn,  no 
Bladder-nut  Family,  74 
Bladder-nut,  American,  74 
Blueberry,  324 

Canadian,  326 

Dwarf,  324 

High  Bush,  329 

Low,  328 

Low  Bush,  324 

Swamp,  329 

Tall.  329 
Bramble,  136 


517 


INDEX   OF   ENGLISH    NAMES 


Brier,  Common,  146 

Currant,  231 

Buckeye,  Dwarf,  71 

Buffalo,  235 

Buckthorn  Family,  62 

Fetid,  231 

Buckthorn,  no 

Golden,  235 

Alder,  68 

Indian,  290 

Alder-leaved,  fa 

Missouri,  235 

Common,  64 

Prostrate,  231 

Lance-leaved,  62 

Red,  232 

Buffalo-berry,  430 

Wild  Black,  233 

Canadian,  432 

Burning  Bush,  61 

DANGLEBERRV,  318 

Bush-honeysuckle,  300 

Daphne,  422,  424 

Common,  304 

Deerberry,  340 

Tartarian.  300 

Deutzia,  217 

Button  Bush,  308 

Dewberry,  158 

Diervilla,  304 

CASSANDRA,  390 

Dogwood  Family,  241 

Cassiope,  375 

Dogwood,  241 

Checkerberry,  395 

Alternate-leaved,  256 

Cherry,  no 

Bailey's,  256 

Appalachian,  112 

Flowering,  244 

Choke,  112 

Panicled,  254 

Dwarf,  no 

Red-flowering,  246 

Sand,  no 

Red-osier,  252 

Chinquapin,  446 

Red-stemmed,  258 

Choke-berry,  187 

Rough-leaved,  250 

Black,  190 

Round-leaved,  246 

Purple-fruited,  190 

Silky,  248 

Red,  187 

Swamp,  248 

Cinquefoil,  Shrubby,  161 

Clethra,  402 

EGLANTINE,  178 

Climath,  84 

Elaeagnus,  427 

Composite  Family,  311 

Elder,  262 

Coral-berry,  290 

American,  262 

Corchorus,  134 

Mountain,  266 

Cornel,  241 

Red-berried,  266 

Cranberry,  273 

Sweet.  262 

American,  341 

Euonymus,  Running,  58 

High  Bush,  273 

Mountain,  335 

FERN,  SWEET,  443 

Cranberry-tree,  273 

Fetter-bush,  Mountain,  384 

Cross,  St.  Andrew's,  28 

Fly-honeysuckle,  298 

Crowberry  Family,  488 

Blue,  296 

Crowberry.  335 

Involucred,  302 

Black,  488 

Mountain,  296 

Conrad's  Broom,  492 

Swamp,  294 

Crowfoot  Family,  3 

Forsythia,  412 

518 


INDEX   OF   ENGLISH    NAMES 


GALE,  S\VEET,  437 
Globe  Flower,  134 
Golden  Chain,  104 
Gooseberry  Family,  224 
Gooseberry,  224 

Eastern  Wild,  228 

European,  228 

Garden,  228 

Hawthorn.  229 

Northern,  229 

Prickly  Wild,  226 

Round-leaveil,  228 

Swamp,  231 
Gordonia,  34 
Grape,  Oregon,  16 
Greenweed,  Dyer's,  100 
Groundsel-tree,  311 
Guelder-rose,  273 

HARDBACK,  120 
Hazel-nut,  449 

Beaked.  454 
Heath  Family,  343 
Heath,  Mountain,  374 
Heathberry.  488 
Heather.  400 
Hemlock,  Ground,  493 
Hobble-bush.  270 
Holly  Family,  48 
Holly,  Mountain,  56 
Honey  Balls.  308 
Honeysuckle  Family,  262 
Honeysuckle,  2Q2 

Bush.  304 

Tartarian,  302 

White  Swamp,  354 

Wild,  346 
Hop-tree,  46 

Horse-chestnut  Family,  71 
Horse-chestnut,  Dwarf,  71 
Huckleberry  Family,  315 
Huckleberry,  315 

Black,  320 

Blue.  328 

Box,  323 

Dwarf.  322 

High-bush,  320 


Huckleberry,  Squaw,  340 
Hudsonia,  19 

Downy,  19 

Heath-like,  22 
Hydrangea  Family,  208 
Hydrangea,  208 

Hardy,  210 

Wild,  208 

INDIGO,  FALSE,  95 
Inkberry,  54 
Ivy,  84 

Northern  Poison,  86 

Poison,  84 

JUNE-BERRY,  192 
Low,  196 

Oblong-fruited,  196 
Round-leaved,  196 

KERRIA,  134 
Kinnikinnik,  248 

LABURNUM,  104 
Laurel  Family,  415 
Laurel.  367 

Great,  362 

Mountain,  367 

Pale,  372 

Sheep, 370 

Spurge,  422 

Swamp,  372 
Lead  Plant,  98 
Leatherleaf,  390 
Leatherwood,  419 
Leucothoe,  375 

Catesby's,  378 

Swamp,  375 
Lilac,  406 

Common,  406 

Josika's,-4o8 

Persian,  408 

White,  408 
Ling,  400 
Locust,  Moss,  103 


MADDKR  FAMILY.  308 
Magnolia  Family,  6 


519 


INDEX  OF   ENGLISH   NAMES 


Magnolia,  6 

Kobus,  10 

Purple-flowered,  8 

Soulange's,  8 

Star,  10 

White,  6 

Yulan.  6 
Mahonia,  16 
Mallow  Family,  36 
Mayflower,  392 
Meadow  Sweet,  118 
Menziesia,  Alleghany,  364 
Mezereum  Family,  419 
Mezeron,  422 
Mistletoe  Family,  434 
Mistletoe,  American,  434 
Mock  Orange,  212 
Moosewood,  419 
Myrtle,  366 
Dutch,  437 
Sand,  366 

NlNEBARK, 129 

OLEASTER  FAMILY,  427 
Olive  Family,  406 
Orange,  Mock,  212 
Oregon  Grape,  16 

PARTRIDGE-BERRY,  396 
Pea  Family,  94 
Pearl  Bush,  132 
Pepperbush,  Sweet,  402 
Pinxter-flower,  346 
Plum  Family,  107 
Plum,  107 

Beach,  108 

Graves'  Beach,  no 
Poison  Oak,  84 

Northern,  86 
Prim,  410 
Privet,  410 
Privet  Andromeda,  388 

QUINCE,  JAPAN,  200 

RABBIT-BERRY,  430 
Raspberry,  136 
Black,  143 


Raspberry,  Purple-flowering,  137 

Thimble-berry,  143 

Wild  Red,  140 
Red-root,  68 
Rhodora,  360 
Rock-rose  Family,  19 
Rose  Family,  118 
Rose,  163 

Arkansas,  168 

Canker,  181 

Carolina,  170 

Climbing,  164 

Dog,  181 

Dwarf  Swamp,  176 

Dwarf  Wild,  173 

Early  Wild,  167 

Glossy,  176 

Japanese,  184 

Japanese  Trailing,  184 

Low,  173 

Marsh  Holy,  380 

Meadow,  167 

Michigan,  164 

Northeastern,  176 

Pasture,  173 

Prairie,  164 

Smooth,  167 

Swamp,  170 

Sweetbrier,  178 
Rosemary,  Wild,  380 
Rose-of-Sharon,  36 
Rue  Family,  43 

ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS,  28 
St.  John's-wort  Family,  23 
St.  John's-wort,  23 

Dense-flowered,  24 

Kalm's,  26 

Shrubby,  23 
St.  Peter's-wort,  28 
Saxifrage  Family,  217 
Shad-bush,  192 
Shrub,  Sweet-scented,  203 
Shrub  Yellow-root,  3 
Silver-berry,  427 
Smoke-tree,  90 
Snowberry,  287 
Snowberry,  Creeping,  341 
520 


INDEX   OF    ENGLISH   NAMES 


Spice  Bush,  415 
Spiraea,  118,  125 
Staff-tree  Family,  58 
Stagger-bush,  386 
Steeple-bush,  120  ^ 
Strawberry  Bush,  58 
Strawberry  Bush,  Running,  60 
Strawberry-shrub  Family,  203 
Strawberry-shrub,  203 
Stuartia,  31 
Sumach  Family,  78 
Sumach,  78 

Dwarf,  80 

Fern-leaved,  80 

Fragrant,  88 

Ill-scented,  90 

Mountain,  80 

Poison,  82 

Scarlet,  78 

Smooth,  78 

Sweet-scented,  88 
Sweetbrier,  178 
Syringa,  Garden,  212 

TAMARISK  FAMILY,  39 
Tamarisk,  39 
Tangle-berry,  318 
Tea  Family,  31 
Tea,  343 

Labrador,  343 

New  Jersey,  68 
Thimble-berry,  143 
Thorn,  198 

Evergreen,  198 

Fire,  198 

VIBURNUM,  DOWNY,  280 

Maple-leaved,  278 
Virginia  Willow  Family,  221 


Virginia  Willow,  221 

WAHOO,  61 
Waxberry,  440 
Wayfaring-tree,  285 

American,  270 
Weigela,  306 
White-alder  Family,  402 
Whortleberry,  Bog,  334 
Willow  Family,  469 
Willow,  469 

Balsam,  472 

Bog.  478 

Broad-leaved,  474 

Diamond,  476 

Dwarf  Gray,  482 

Furry,  477 

Heart-leaved,  476 

Hoary,  484 

Prairie,  478 

Pussy,  472 

Sage,  482 

Silky,  486 

Slender,  486 
Winterberry,  48 

Evergreen,  54 

Smooth,  52 
Wintergreen,  395 
Witch  Hazel  Family,  238 
Witch  Hazel,  238 
Withe-rod,  284 
Woad  Waxen,  100 

YELLOW-ROOT  SHRUB,  3 
Yew  Family,  493 
Yew,  American,  493 

European,  495 

Irish,  407 

Japanese,  498 


521 


BOOKS     ON     GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

Our  Garden  Flowers 

By  HARRIET  L.  KEELER 

Author  of  "  Our  Native  Trees "  and  "  Our  Northern 
Shrubs."  With  96  full-page  illustrations  from  photo- 
graphs and  1 86  illustrations  from  drawings.  Crown 
8vo,  $2.00  net;  postage  extra. 

A  popular  study  of  the  life  histories  of  familiar  flowers, 
their  structural  affiliations,  their  native  lands,  that  has  those 
qualities  of  clearness,  thoroughness,  and  charm  of  style  that 
have  made  her  other  books  famous. 

It  is  beautifully  illustrated. 

"This  book,"  says  its  author  in  her  preface,  "is  the  outcome 
of  a  life-long  search  for  a  volume  with  which  one  might  make  a 
little  journey  into  the  garden,  and  become  acquainted  with  the 
dwellers  therein;  their  native  land,  their  life  history,  their  struc- 
tural affiliations. 

"Among  the  many  species  of  a  genus  it  has  often  been  neces- 
sary to  select  but  one  for  description.  As  a  rule  the  choice  has 
been  either  the  typical  form,  or  the  one  longest  in  cultivation,  or 
the  greatest  favorite. 

"While  it  has  been  the  aim  to  make  the  book  a  fairly  complete 
study  of  all  the  annual  and  perennial  flowering  herbs  commonly 
found  in  a  hardy  garden,  it  is  by  no  means  intended  to  be  a 
catalogue." 

Full  of  practical,  tested,  systematically  arranged,  and 
well  indexed  information. 


BOOKS     ON     GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

Our  Native  Trees  and 
How  to  Identify  Them 

By  HARRIET  L.  KEELER 

With  178  full-page  plates  from  photographs,  and  162  text- 
drawings.     Crown  8vo,  $2.00  net. 

The  trees  described  in  this  volume  are  those  indigenous 
to  the  region  extending  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  from  Canada  to  the  northern 
boundaries  of  the  Southern  States;  together  with  a  few 
well-known  and  naturalized  foreign  trees  such  as  the 
Horse-Chestnut,  Lombardy  Poplar,  Ailantus,  and  Syca- 
more Maple. 

"Miss  Keeler  has  made  a  very  commendable  addition  to  the 
semi-popular  treatises  on  American  plants,  in  a  well-written, 
well-illustrated,  and  well-printed  account  of  native  and  natural- 
ized trees.  Bits  of  the  best  from  the  poets  and  prose  writers  re- 
lieve the  descriptions,  and  the  folk-lore  of  a  number  of  trees  is 
well  if  briefly  told." — American  Naturalist. 

"To  such  of  the  general  public  as  habitually  frequent  the 
woods  which  they  love,  the  book  will  be  most  welcome,  for  it  is 
carefully  classified,  adequately  illustrated,  and  most  readably 
written." — Boston  Budget. 

"It  condenses  into  convenient  shape  a  fund  of  information 
spread  over  many  volumes  of  older  works,  and  blends  the  prac- 
tical and  poetical  in  a  way  to  delight  all  readers." 

— St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat. 


BOOKS     ON     GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

Our  Northern  Shrubs 

By  HARRIET  L.  KEELER 

With  205  photographic  plates  and  35  pen-and-ink  draw- 
ings.    Crown  8vo,  $2.00  net. 

The  volume  is  prepared  not  only  for  the  amateur  botan- 
ist who  seeks  a  more  adequate  description  than  the  text- 
books afford,  and  not  only  for  the  lover  of  nature  who 
desires  a  personal  acquaintance  with  the  bushes  that  grow 
in  the  fields;  but  also  to  serve  those  who  are  engaged  in 
the  establishment  and  decoration  of  city  parks,  roadways, 
and  boulevards;  those  who  are  seeking  to  beautify  country 
roadsides  and  railroad  stations  as  well  as  those  who,  in 
the  decoration  of  their  own  home  grounds,  would  gladly 
use  our  native  shrubs  were  their  habits  and  character  better 
understood. 

"Simple,  clear  descriptions  that  a  child  can  understand,  are 
given  of  shrubs  that  find  their  home  in  the  region  extending 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  from  Canada  to 
the  boundaries  of  our  Southern  States." — Outlook. 

"There  are  over  two  hundred  plates  from  photographs,  and 
a  number  from  drawings.  The  photographs,  all  of  shrubs  in 
flower  or  fruit,  are  very  beautiful,  and  so  clear  as  to  make  identi- 
fication perfectly  simple." — Dial. 

"An  interesting  feature  of  this  book  is  the  sparing  but  judicious 
incorporation  of  quotations  from  those  authors  among  us  who 
have  best  interpreted  nature." — Churchman. 


BOOKS     ON      GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

How  to  Know  the  Wild 
Flowers 

By  MRS.  WILLIAM  STARR  DANA 

With  48  colored  plates  and  new  black-and-white  drawings, 
enlarged,  rewritten,  and  entirely  reset. 

A  guide  to  the  names,  haunts,  and  habits  of  our  native 
wild  flowers.  With  48  full-page  colored  plates  by 
ELSIE  LOUISE  SHAW,  and  no  full-page  illustrations 
by  MARION  SATTERLEE.  Crown  8vo,  $2.00  net. 

"  Readers  will  find  that  even  a  bowing  acquaintance  with 
the  flowers  repays  one  generously  for  the  effort  expended  in  its 
achievement,"  says  the  author  in  her  introduction.  "Such  an 
acquaintance  serves  to  transmute  the  tedium  of  a  railway  journey 
into  the  excitement  of  a  tour  of  discovery.  It  causes  the  monot- 
ony of  a  drive  through  an  ordinarily  uninteresting  country  to  be 
forgotten  in  the  diversion  of  noting  the  wayside  flowers,  and 
counting  a  hundred  different  species  where  formerly  less  than  a 
dozen  would  have  been  detected.  It  invests  each  boggy  meadow 
and  bit  of  rocky  woodland  with  almost  irresistible  charm." 

"She  has  systematized  her  facts  in  a  compact  and  convenient 
form.  She  is  practical  and  terse,  and  is  also  alive  to  the  things 
which  are  not  entirely  matters  of  fact." — New  York  Tribune. 

Miss  C.  W.  Hunt,  Superintendent  of  Children's  Department, 
Brooklyn  Public  Library,  says:  "  Get  this  book  if  you  only  carry 
one  flower  book  on  your  vacation." 

"Particularly  noteworthy  for  its  beautiful  colored  plates, 
about  fifty  in  number.  So  beautifully  were  these  made  that  in 
many  cases  the  actual  flower  seems  starting  from  the  page,  and 
one  can  almost  fancy  the  perfume,  too,  is  in  evidence." 

— New  York  Times. 


BOOKS     ON     GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

According  to  Season 

By  FRANCES  THEODORA  PARSONS 

Author  of  "  How  to  Know  the  Wild  Flowers,"  "  How  to 
Know  the  Ferns,"  etc.  With  32  full-page  illustra- 
tions from  drawings  in  colors  by  ELSIE  LOUISE  SHAW. 
i2mo,  $1.75  net. 

"This  volume  has  that  rarest  of  all  qualities— charm.  It  is 
an  unpretentious  series  of  talks  about  the  flowers  in  the  order  of 
their  appearance  in  the  woods  and  fields." — Boston  Herald. 

"The  chapters  are  not  devoted  to  botanical  analyses  of  'speci- 
mens' but  to  delightful  talks  upon  the  beauty  of  the  changing 
year,  and  the  parts  contributed  to  such  pleasures  by  forest, 
grove,  and  stream." — The  Interior,  Chicago. 

"We  give  thanks  for  the  beautiful  colored  plates  with  which 
the  book  is  embellished.  They  are  well  done,  and  so  true  to 
nature  that  the  veriest  tyro  can  readily  identify  the  plants  they 
illustrate." — Baltimore  Sun. 

"'According  to  Season'  is  a  most  desirable  vacation  com- 
panion."— Brooklyn  Eagle. 


BOOKS     ON      GARDEN 
FIELD     AND     WOOD 

How  to  Know  the  Ferns 

By  FRANCES  THEODORA  PARSONS 

Author  of  "According  to  Season "  and  "  How  to  Know 
the  Wild  Flowers."  With  144  illustrations  from 
photographs.  Crown  8vo,  $1.50  net. 

Written  in  the  safhe  fresh  entertaining  way,  and  with 
the  same  care  and  authority,  that  made  invaluable  to 
nature  lovers  her  work  on  "  How  to  Know  the  Wild 
Flowers." 


"Since  the  publication,  six  years  ago,  of  'How  to  Know  the 
Wild  Flowers,'"  says  the  writer,  "I  have  received  such  convin- 
cing testimony  of  the  eagerness  of  nature  lovers  of  all  ages  and 
conditions  to  familiarize  themselves  with  the  inhabitants  of  our 
woods  and  fields,  and  so  many  assurances  of  the  joy  which  such 
a  familiarity  affords,  that  I  have  prepared  this  companion 
volume  on  'How  to  Know  the  Ferns.'" 


"The  charm  of  this  book  is  pervading  and  enduring  as  is  the 
charm  of  nature." — New  York  Times. 


"This  is  a  notably  thorough  little  volume.  The  text  is  not 
voluminous,  and  even  with  its  many  full-page  illustrations  the 
book  is  small;  but  brevity,  as  we  are  glad  to  see  so  many  writers 
on  nature  learning,  is  the  first  of  virtues  in  this  field.  .  .  .  The 
author  of  'How  to  Know  the  Ferns'  has  mastered  her  subject, 
and  she  treats  of  it  with  authority." — New  York  Tribune. 


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